Betrayal to Love
by mushi0131
Summary: Lucy thought everything in her life was finally falling into place. She was getting stronger, she was surrounded my friends, and she was happy with her new boyfriend. That is, until she walked in on something she wasn't meant to see. Now she's dealing with the aftermath, and things just keep getting out of control. Can she clean up the mess without breaking his heart?
1. Betrayal

_**WARNING!**_ **This story is rated M for foul language, adult situations, and sexual content. If you are uncomfortable with this then** _ **please**_ **exit the screen. :) You have been warned.**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail, the amazing Hiro Mashima does. The man works long, hard hours and deserves all the credit for bringing the characters to life. I'm just borrowing them for a moment.**

 **Hello again, here's the beginning to another story. This is going to be a short multi-chapter story with some drama and romance. There will be six chapters total. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One: Betrayal**

Lucy Heartfilia couldn't wipe off the cheerful grin on her face even if she tried. The busty blonde was busy chatting away with Erza and Cana, talking about the most recent mission she went on by herself. She was so proud of her accomplishment, because she took out a group of bandits that were terrorizing a village.

It had been challenging, but oh so rewarding. The best part was she was about to keep the gates of both Loke and Virgo open for a lot longer than usual. The bandits consisted of five men. Her spirits took out two each, while Lucy took out the leader. A whip around the neck was hard to fight against.

She had done so well, she even had time to spare to get her nails done. In fact she arrived back a day earlier than planned. It felt so great, and the other female's compliments made her feel all the better. Plus, there was another thing she was excited about.

Today was the third month anniversary of dating Gray Fullbuster.

Lucy was so happy with her relationship with the ice-make wizard. He was cool, calm, and collected. So far they hadn't even fought once. It was a dream come true for the blonde, who always dreamt about her prince charming.

The only problem was she didn't get to gloat about it, since they were still keeping their relationship a secret. The only person outside of them that even knew was Levy, and that was only because the poor solid script mage happened to catch them kissing behind the guild a month back. If the bluenette was here she could talk to her about it, but sadly team shadow gear was out on another mission, this time bringing Gajeel and Pantherlily along with them.

So Lucy was left alone with the celebration. Although that would change soon, because today she was surprising Gray in the best way she knew how. That's right, tonight she was finally giving herself to him.

The blonde wasn't a prude, but she still hadn't gone all the way with Gray yet. She wanted their first time together to be special, and this seemed like a good occasion to do so. She had it all planned out too. She would make them dinner, relax with a little lacrimavision, then treat him in the bedroom.

She was excited, but extremely nervous. Gray was her first boyfriend, so he had enjoyed all of her firsts with her. Her first kiss, her first handjob, her first blowjob, and even her first... Well he went down on her last week and it was amazing! She was hoping they could do that again tonight. Just thinking about it was enough to make her thighs clench. This would be her first time having sex, so she was a little anxious.

She was probably a little more worried about how things would go since Gray was more experienced than her. The blonde hated that conversation, but it was information she needed to know. According to Gray, he had four girlfriends before her, and two of them he'd slept with.

Lucy understood that not all men wait for the right woman, but she still felt a little disappointed that her first time was not going to be with a fellow virgin. Still, she really cared about Gray, and she felt like the time was right.

Tonight would go great. She just knew it.

"Do you want to come over tonight?" Erza asked, breaking through Lucy's thoughts.

The blonde glanced over to the redhead with a silly grin, still halfway daydreaming about her plans. "Huh? For what?"

It was Cana who answered. "The girls are going to get together at Fairy Hills tonight. We're gonna drink, eat, and party until someone calls the royal guards!"

"Uh..." Lucy couldn't figure out why that would be their goal. She ignored it, thinking it was probably just an expression anyways. "Sorry, I'll be busy. Maybe next time?"

"Oh, and what are you doing that is making you miss girl's night?" Cana wiggled her eyebrows before taking a swig of her beer.

"N-nothing." Lucy felt her cheeks heat up. There was no way she was confiding in them. Between Erza and her erotic novels, and Cana and her wild adventures with men, she couldn't trust them to be civil. They'd probably poke and pry into the relationship she had with Gray.

Or worse... Give her _advice_.

Lucy shuddered, knowing that would be far, _far_ worse. She was ready to lose her virginity, not certainly not ready to dive straight into the karma sutra. Maybe it was unfair to assume they'd try something like that, but Lucy wasn't taking any chances.

"Really?" The brunette teased. "Because it sounds more like _something_. Do you have a boy you're not telling us about?"

Lucy let out a squeak, followed by a string of words that didn't quite go together. "I, no. You see, and... Well, umm..."

"Interesting," Erza observed the celestial wizard's word vomit with watchful eyes. "Is it safe to assume that Cana is correct?"

"Hell yeah it is," the alcoholic answered for her with a gleaming smile. "Let me guess, is it..."

Lucy's eyes widened. _'Oh no, she's going to know!'_

"...Natsu!" Erza finished in a surprised voice.

"What?" Lucy deadpanned.

It was true that for a while she did have a thing for Natsu. It was hard not to after all. He was strong, loyal, and damn did he look good. Sadly the dragon slayer never showed her any signs he was interested in her as more than a friend. Hell, he never showed any signs that he was interested in _anyone_ as more than a friend.

The pink haired man treated her as a best friend, and nothing more. Lucy thought about asking him straight up if he'd ever consider dating her, but she was terrified that it would ruin their friendship.

Plus she could only imagine the relentless teasing the fire dragon slayer would put her through. Not to mention Happy would constantly chant, "you liiiiike him!" over and over again until she was forced to quit the guild and move. No, it was better for push those feelings away.

Natsu was a great friend, but that's all he was ever going to be to her, just a friend.

Although it hurt, it was for the best. Besides, around that time she was looking for a potential boyfriend anyways. Natsu didn't seem like the type who'd even want to be in a relationship, let alone go on a date with someone. It was better to move on to someone who actually took an interest in dating and relationships.

That's what turned her attentions to Gray.

Lucy had a small crush on him from the beginning of their friendship. Not the first time she met him though, because being asked if she could lend him her underwear was just plain creepy. After that she got to know him, and found a lot of traits in the ice-make wizard that she liked. He was nice, loyal to his friends, and pretty handsome.

The only question was did he like her back?

She knew the raven haired man thought she was cute. During the time when they were trying to stop Nirvana, she met Gemini. The celestial spirit was impersonating the ice wizard, and while doing so, he had admitted to thinking she was attractive. He seemed like a safe choice. Turns out he was more than happy to accept a date with the blonde, and it didn't take long after that before the two became a couple.

Of course they kept quite about their relationship for a multitude of reasons. They didn't want to risk ruining the team they'd built with Erza and Natsu, so they never mentioned it. There was also the issue of Juvia. The water mage was obsessed with him, and would surely try to murder Lucy if the news of their dating became public.

However, Lucy kind of wanted to tell more people about them. Especially because of the Juvia issue. The blonde would be lying if she said she wasn't insecure and jealous about the way the bluenette declared her love for him nearly every day. At least if everyone knew then maybe it'd make the water wizard back off.

Lucy finally snapped back into reality with a fit of giggles. "You think there's something going on between _Natsu_ and me?" She let out another string of laughter before wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. "I wouldn't go out with him if he was the last guy on Earthland!"

The celestial wizard was relieved they didn't assume it was Gray, but their wide eyes made her feel uneasy. "Why are you two-"

"Hey Luce," a familiar voice cut her off.

Said girl looked up in horror. Natsu Dragneel, Fairy Tail's fire dragon slayer, was standing not two feet away from her. She cringed, hoping he didn't hear the hurtful thing she just said about him, but knowing his sensitive hearing, he probably did.

"When'd you get back?" Natsu asked, taking a seat at the table next to her. The blue exceed that had been accompanying him continued on, flying over to the bar, probably to ask if/when Carla would be in.

Lucy studied his expression for a moment. He didn't look upset. If anything he looked just as cheerful as always. The blonde assured herself that even if he did hear her, he probably didn't take offense. Besides, it's not like Natsu cares about dating or things like that anyways.

"About thirty minutes ago," Lucy couldn't conceal the grin forming on her face as she said her good news. "I finished my solo mission early."

"That's great," the pinkette gave her his toothy grin. It really didn't look like he was upset at all. "Next time you should come on a mission with just me and Happy, like the good old days."

"Hmmm," Lucy hummed, "maybe. As long as it's nothing ridiculous." She enjoyed missions where it was just the three of them. Although without Gray and Erza along, it was hard to keep his magic in check. He always seemed to go overboard and causing damage. Of course the damage was subtracted from their pay, so that usually left the blonde broke and looking for even more jobs.

However, it was always more fun when it was just them. Natsu and Happy could keep her laughing for hours, especially when they started bickering over stupid things like fish or food. Nostalgia washed over her, and she honestly considered taking him up on that offer.

"Awww, but those are always the fun ones." Natsu pouted as he dropped his face on the table. The wood was cool under his cheek, and felt relaxing contrasting against his hot body temperature.

Lucy couldn't help but admire how cute he looked with his feigned sad face. She could tell he was just teasing her, but it was still funny. Suddenly she realized she was thinking of Natsu as cute and had to abort fast to avoid her dreadful feelings from returning again. She had done well to push them down and suffocate them, so there was no point it letting them come back to life.

"Well, I should probably get going. I have some... _stuff_ I have to do." Lucy quickly waved to Cana and Erza, then finally to Natsu. "See you guys around."

The blonde was a few feet away from the door before she felt a warm hand on her wrist. "Wait," she heard Natsu say.

Lucy turned to see an uneasy grin on the pink haired man's face. "Yes?"

"Oh, umm..." His words started to falter as he felt his cheeks warm up. "I was wondering if, maybe you wanted to hang out later? Happy said he's going over to Fairy Hills for the night, and I don't want to be alone."

Lucy blinked in surprise at him. She swore she saw a light shade of pink dusting over his cheeks, but she shook the thought away, knowing she was just imaging it. "Sorry Natsu, I already have plans."

She could see his shoulders go slack as he released her wrist. "Oh..." His green eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn't quite place.

"You're a big boy," Lucy assured, giving him a smile. "You'll be fine on your own for one night."

"I guess you're right," Natsu sighed, avoiding her eyes. He already expected this type of answer, but he still tried anyways. All it did was make his stomach twist.

"That's the spirit," the celestial wizard said as she patted his shoulder twice. "Well, I'll see you later."

With that, she disappeared through the doors. Natsu's heart constricted as he stared at the closed-door for a few more minutes, oblivious to everything around him.

The only thing to snap him out of his daze was the voice of his blue exceed.

"Did you tell her?" Happy asked with a cautious tone. He knew about the situation with Natsu, and he really felt bad for the guy.

The dragon slayer dropped his head in shame. "No."

"I'm sorry buddy," The feline landed on the shoulder of his 'father'. "Why didn't you?"

"Because, I chickened out... _again_ ," the pinkette's eyes were covered by his bangs to hide the pathetic tears that lined his eyes. "Besides. There's no way she'd ever feel the same way about me. You heard what she said early... Even if I was the _last guy_ on Earthland... she wouldn't want me..."

A few moments passed before Happy hugged the side of Natsu's head, trying desperately to comfort him. "If it helps, I think you're great."

"Thanks Happy," Natsu tried to sound confident, but his voice only became raspy. "I'm not feeling to good. I think I'm gonna go home. You still going to Wendy's tonight?"

"Yeah," the blue cat purred, "she said she's going to try to cook me a fish. I told her I prefer them raw, but it's a good excuse to get near Carla."

A small, pitiful chuckle came from the dragon slayer. "I hope you guys have fun."

"Thanks, I hope you feel better," Happy said, flying back to the bar. He hated to see his best friend so sad, but there was nothing he could really do to cheer him up. He'd been this way for the past few months, and it didn't look like it was ending anytime soon.

"Me too," Natsu sighed, before he made his way through the guild's doors. The outside light was to damn bright. It wasn't even noon yet, and it was already like this.

The dragon slayer took the trail he always does when he goes home. He took his time, knowing that all that awaited him was an empty house and a broken heart.

Actually, no matter where he goes, the damn broken thing comes with him. It felt like it might be less painful to just rip the thing from his chest, but then he'd be dead, and Natsu really didn't want to die. Even if sometimes the pain was unbearable.

When he was deep enough in the forest, he let out a defeated sigh. It seemed like he'd been doing that a lot recently. "Maybe..." He said to no one in particular. Perhaps he was talking to that red bird flying above him, or perhaps it was to the phantom blonde in his mind.

"Maybe one day I'll get the courage to tell you how I feel... Lucy." Natsu shook his head, knowing how foolish he was. He really shouldn't give himself so much false hope. It was slowly killing him.

"Not that it matters anyways... You could never love someone like me..."

* * *

Lucy nervously pulled at the sleeve of her jacket. She really hoped she looked nice. Today she had left her hair down, with no ribbons or hair ties. She wore a minimal amount of makeup to give herself a more natural look.

Her solid black shirt adorned a pink Hearts Kreuz logo on her left breast. Her short, pink, pleated skirt matched perfectly. It was a bit cold outside, so she had on black, thigh high stockings to compliment her tall, black boots and dark pink jacket.

In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have worn so much black. It just looked a little to dark for the normally cheerful blonde, but the outfit had looked so sexy on her she couldn't resist. Plus with as many glances she was receiving from men, she could tell she'd been right in choosing it.

Lucy had spent about thirty minutes in the local market buying the necessary ingredients for tonight's dinner. Gray was sure to love it! Her smile was wide as she thought about her boyfriend. He always complimented her cooking, which gave her a huge confidence boast.

Growing up she wasn't really allowed to cook. Her father discouraged it, saying the servants would take care of meals. She asked what she would do when she grew up and had to cook, but her father assured her she'd always have someone else to do it for her.

It upset the blonde that she wasn't allowed to do things for herself, which is why once she ran away, she began learning how to cook. At first it was disastrous. She burned literally everything. It was as if she had the hands of Natsu when it came to preparing meals.

A sigh escaped her at the thought of her pyro friend. He seemed off today. In fact he's been acting strange for a while now. He's been almost nervous around her, or overly friendly. It was confusing to say the least. Natsu was her best friend. If he was having a problem than surely he'd come to her for help. Or ask Happy. The blue exceed hadn't given any clues for the odd behavior, so it must just be her imagination.

Her heart always felt a bit heavier when she thought about him. She used to like him so much. He was the one who brought her to Fairy Tail. He was the one who protected her no matter how badly he was injured. Hell, he would probably give his life in order to save hers. How could she not fall in lo-

The blonde shook the thought from her head while patting her heated cheeks. She thought she had gotten rid of those pesky feelings, but they always seemed to bubble back up when she was anxious. Natsu was her best friend. That was _all_ he was, and all he'd ever be. She was with Gray, and he was the one who mattered.

Lucy finally zoned back into reality when the old lady in front of her cleared her throat. "Huh?" The blonde looked down at the outstretched hand that held her change from her purchase.

"Oh, thank you," Lucy accepted her money and the last item she needed for tonight.

She had just purchased a block of ice. It felt a little silly, buying ice when her boyfriend can just create it in seconds, but she wanted to do this on her own. For dessert she would attempt to make homemade ice cream. She knew that Gray didn't get any power boasts by eating ice, but it was the thought that counts.

Lucy had three bags full of groceries, and a purse full of _essentials_ for tonight. In other words, she had a box of condoms and a bottle of lube. She had read some stories about first time experiences, and she wanted everything to be perfect. You could only lose your virginity once after all.

One thing bugged her as she walked the familiar path to Gray's apartment. They hadn't said 'I love you' to each other yet. Perhaps tonight was the night for that. Then again, she didn't want to rush it. She couldn't say that Gray held her heart, but he was pretty damn close.

He made her feel loved, so wasn't that enough? The words said aloud didn't really matter as long as the feelings were strong enough.

 _'Do I love Gray?'_ She could help but think about it. Sure he made her heart race, but there was just something missing. That's one of the other reasons she decided to have sex with him tonight. It must be the missing piece. After that things should fall right into place.

Lucy hummed a song her mother used to sing to her as she rounded a corner, reaching Gray's street. She'd been at his apartment a lot during the last few months. She had never slept over, but maybe tonight that would change too.

"Oh no," Lucy sighed. If she planned on trying to sleep over than she should have packed an overnight bag. "Well I'm already here," she mumbled to herself. Maybe she could just borrow some clothes from him for tomorrow morning.

The idea intrigued her. She always thought it'd be fun to wear her boyfriend's clothes. Maybe she'd finally get her chance to try it out in real life.

Tonight sure was filled with a lot of maybe's.

Lucy entered Gray's apartment building and proceeded to his floor. Once she was outside of his door, she dropped the bags to search for the spare key he had given her. It filled her with joy every time she used it, because it showed how serious they were.

Once she opened the door she was met with the frosty air. She usually begged him to turn the temperature up, but he told her he didn't know what she was talking about. He said this was 'comfy'. She felt like a damn popsicle once she submerged herself completely into his one bedroom apartment. At least she was wearing a jacket.

She happily went to the living room where she was sure he'd be. Her smile didn't falter when she noticed he wasn't in there. Her smile still remained even after checking the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom. There was only one room left in the small apartment, and that was his room. She placed the grocery bags and her purse on the kitchen counter before proceeding to find her boyfriend.

"Silly Gray, sleeping in," Lucy mused to herself as she tiptoed to the back room.

She was inches away from grabbed the knob when a loud crash sounded from the other side of the door. She heard Gray mumble a few cuss words, which worried Lucy. She hoped he hadn't hurt himself, but she was glad to know he _was_ in fact home.

With her smile growing she opened the door. Her lips parted to greet him, but her body lost the ability to talk in that moment. It took several seconds for her to register that something was definitely _wrong_. All she could do was gaze at the puzzling scene in front of her as her brain slowly registered what was going on.

The first thing Lucy noticed was a broken lamp that usually resided on his nightstand. It was in pieces, scattered across the brown carpet. The second thing she noticed was her boyfriend, completely naked and laying in bed. That wouldn't usually be a problem, and with his stripping habit it was almost excepted, however something was definitely _not_ normal about what Lucy was witnessing.

The blonde's eyes trailed down his pale body until they landed on his crotch. Well, what she could see of his crotch anyways. It was a little difficult with Juvia's head in the way.

Lucy's lips parted. She had to be seeing things... right? That clearly wasn't her boyfriend receiving head from Fairy Tail's water mage. The celestial wizard wanted to blink the image of those lips wrapped tightly around Gray's cock away, but her eyes remained open. It was as if her entire body refused to respond to even the most basic commands.

Juvia Lockster was laying on the bed with him with all of her clothes on. Scratch that, her odd hat was resting on the edge of the bed. That made sense to Lucy. It would probably be very difficult to preform a blowjob with something on her head.

Lucy's body forced her to watch as her boyfriend's hand shifted through that blue hair, in the same manner that he did when Lucy sucked on him. It made her sick. Her gut twisted painfully as reality started crashing around her.

Despite the loud ringing in her ears, the only sounds in the apartment were coming from the ice wizard. He was panting, moaning, and the water mage's name was slipping from his lips as he bucked into her mouth.

He really seemed to be enjoying it.

Gray was committing the ultimate betrayal to their relationship, and here Lucy was... Just standing there and watching it happen. She had to do something. She couldn't just watch this. It wasn't right, and it made her heart constrict in the most painful way she could ever imagine.

Finally Lucy's body reacted, but it wasn't what she wanted it to do. Her lungs were burning from the denied air, and she was forced to take in a sharp breath to fill them. Of course it was just loud enough for the two on the bed to hear.

Gray turned his head in her direction. His dark blue eyes were cloudy as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. He blinked as his lips parted. "Lucy?"

* * *

 **Well that's the end of chapter one. Thank you for reading so far. If you want to leave a review it will be greatly appreciated. I accept constructive criticism. I tried to keep them in character, so let me know if I did okay or not? Anyways, thank you again and I'll see you soon for Chapter Two: Comfort.**


	2. Comfort

**Hello there! So I was going to wait a few more days to post this, but I'm in such a good mood I decided to update early! Today is my anniversary! I've been with best friend for over 9 years, but today makes 6 years married to him.** ❤️

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 **Chapter Two: Comfort**

Shock.

The only things running through Lucy's stiff body was chilling blood, and shock.

"Lucy?" Gray's voice held disbelief as he sat up on the bed. He looked like he'd seen a ghost judging by how pale his face went.

"Lucy-san!" Juvia was now sitting on her knees next to him, hands over her mouth as if _she_ were the one shocked.

The blonde's eyes darted back to her naked boyfriend, who was now making a move to stand up. She could see the panic that had replaced the lust previously in his eyes. He took a step to her, and her feet reacted.

She took a step away from him. Then another.

Before she knew it she was ignoring the calls from the two wizards as she ran away from the scene. In her hurry she didn't even bother grabbing her purse or her groceries. They held no importance to her in that moment.

She just kept running. She passed through the apartment complex, not even dealing with the elevator. She took the stairs two steps at a time until she burst through the doors which led outside.

She didn't know where to go. She didn't know where was _safe_.

Home? No, he was sure to go there to find her.

The guild? No, she didn't want anyone to see the tears that were now flowing from her watery eyes.

The forest? Yes! She would be safe there!

Wind caused her hair to fly behind her and her eyes to sting. Her legs carried her to the outskirts of Magnolia, until dirt and twigs were under her feet. Even then, she kept running. Only when her lungs burned and her foot caught on a rock did she finally stop.

Well, more like fell face-first into a pile of dead leaves.

Lucy didn't care. It didn't matter that her clothes were now dirty, or that her cries were echoing in the large forest. Nothing mattered anymore, because she was heartbroken.

She curled herself into a ball, letting the sobs rack her body. She felt so low, so weak, so _pathetic_. She hadn't felt this beaten down since she first ran away from home. The feeling was not missed.

"Why!?" Lucy found herself screaming to no one.

She knew she was undignified at that moment, but it's not like anyone could see her anyways. She was all alone. No one ventured this far into the forest.

Her manicured nails dug into the soil. Right now she didn't want to be pretty. She wanted to be as ugly as she felt. It didn't make sense to her.

"Why, Gray?" Then she choked on her saliva, causing a fit of coughing.

Lucy didn't know what she did wrong. She thought Gray was happy with her. Was he not? Questions started piling up in her mind, and she had no answers for them.

Why would Gray do this? Was she not good enough? Not satisfying enough? What did _Juvia_ have that she didn't?

"Juvia," the name tasted like bile on her tongue. She knew deep down that the water mage was her friend, but that only made the pain more intense.

What had Lucy ever done to the water mage to deserve this? Sure she was dating Gray, and Juvia opening declared her love for him, but he never seemed interested before... Why now?

A pang in her heart caused her to wince.

 _'What if that wasn't the first time?'_

What if he'd been doing things with Juvia all along? What if he'd been seeing her _before_ Lucy started dating him? What if _Lucy_ was the other woman?

The thought carried more grief than she could imagine. Lucy didn't think her heart could take it anymore. Her hands clutched at her shirt, over her beating organ hidden in her chest. Pain was all she felt. She was alone, and a small part of her wondered if this was her punishment for choosing the _safe choice_. Clearly he wasn't safe at all.

She punched the ground. It was an impulsive action, one with no thoughts attached to it. Unfortunately for her, it did nothing to settle her heartbreak. The only thing to occur was a stabbing pain shooting through her knuckles.

At least now she hurt physically as well. This pain was something she could deal with, the emotional pain was unbearable.

She screamed again, causing some nearby birds to scatter. She didn't care. Part of her knew she might have been taking this to far, but she was lost. She had never dealt with something like this before, so she had no idea how she was _supposed_ to react. Everything in her told her to let it all out, to expel the rage boiling under her skin. So that's what she was doing.

Lucy was about to let out another bellow of rage, but a twig snapped behind her, causing her to choke up.

"Well hello, pretty woman!"

Lucy shivered, recognizing that voice. For some odd reason, they _all_ had the same creepy voice.

She lifted her head up, confirming her beliefs. In front of her stood a Gorian, also known as a forest vulcan. It looked like a giant ape on steroids, with a purple body and green fur. Five pinks hearts were lined on each of its massive arms, giving it an overall weird look.

She quickly rose to her feet, not wanting such a simple creature to take her out. She had just been so proud of herself for defeating a group of bandits by herself, this thing was nothing compared to them.

On instincts, her hands flew to her side, only to grasp her hip. "What the?" She spoke with a raspy voice, dry from all her crying.

Her key pouch that was normally on her belt was gone. She had all of two seconds to be confused before she realized she had put them in her purse earlier today. She hadn't been expecting to leave town, so there was no reason to keep them within reach. Now she felt stupid for allowing such a simple mistake to pass by her.

Her hands grabbed at the whip she kept on her other side, just to gasp again. The clasp that held her weapon secure to her belt was undone, and her whip was nowhere to be seen. It must have opened during her run.

She had two options. Fight or flight.

As much as she wanted to prove herself tough against this pervy ape, she wasn't feeling up for a fight.

With fast reflexes, she grabbed a large rock -the one she tripped on- and threw it at the beast. It hit his face, causing the creature to cry out in pain. Lucy wasted no time enjoying her small victory as she ran away from the ape.

With a newfound purpose -escaping the vulcan- she ran harder than she had in days. Even when she couldn't hear his raging screams she still kept her fast pace. Trees and bushes seemed to blur in her peripheral vision as she sprinted through the forest.

She had no intentions on stopping until she made it out of the wooded area, but the problem was she didn't even know where she was. She'd gone to far without mapping out her course, so her chances of finding an easy escape were dwindling away with ever pounding footstep she took.

The only thing to stop her this time around, was the full-on collision with a shadowy figure that emerged in front of her. She had no time to stop herself, so the impact was painful.

A yelp escaped her lips as she braced for the fall that never came. When she finally opened her brown eyes, she saw she was being suspended about a foot above the ground. "Huh?" She blinked in confusion. That's when she felt it.

Large hands were wrapped around her waist, and she was now being pulled up. Panic set in as she started to struggle against her captor. "Let go of me you creepy ape!"

She twisted and wiggled, but she was securely in its grip. She wouldn't go down easily though. If the thing wanted her, it would have to break every bone in her body before she gave up.

Using her free foot, she kicked backwards, nailing her target's legs with a harsh contact.

"Fuck!" Her captor yelled, but it was not the voice of the vulcan. In fact, she recognized that voice better than any other voice.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, finally glancing behind her to see the pink haired man wincing in pain.

"Why'd you kick me Luce?" He released her in favor of soothing his left shin.

The blonde could already see a bruise forming on the tan skin, and guilt flooded her. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I thought you were a vulcan!"

"Why would you think that?" His dark green eyes flitted up at her with a questioning look.

"One was just chasing me," she said before frowning.

The dragon slayer looked in the direction she was running from, but he saw nothing. "Well, looks like you got away." He stood when the sharp pain in his shin became a dull thud. "Why're you running anyways? Why didn't you just call one of your spirits?"

Lucy sighed, "I left them at-" Pain struck her as she remembered what she had witnessed not that long ago between Gray and Juvia. The memory was still fresh, and it cut like a serrated blade. "D-doesn't... m-matter," tears lined her eyes again as she fell apart.

"Whoa, why're you crying?" Natsu put his hands on her arms, hoping to stabilize her. He hated seeing Lucy cry. It was one of the worse feelings he ever felt.

She didn't respond. Instead she let her knees buckle to drop to the ground, though she never made it. Once again, Natsu was there to catch her. He pulled her into a tight hug, supporting her weight.

When she made no move against him, he picked her up with his arms wrapped around her back and the other under her knees. "It looks like you got hurt," he said, observing her small cuts on her arms and legs. Her dirty clothes was a clear sign that her journey was not resistance-free. "I'm gonna take you to my house to get you cleaned up."

She didn't say anything. She just nodded, resting her head against his chest. Natsu felt a tightening in his heart from how close she was to him, but he forced himself to push it aside. Lucy needed help, and this was no time to get caught up in his feelings. Besides... There was always the problem of-

"You weren't that far away you know," Natsu said, trying to keep himself out of his mind. "I could hear some commotion so I decided to check it out." The dragon slayer spoke casually, hoping it would bring Lucy out of her sadness. She was silently crying, her tears staining his exposed chest and the trim of his vest.

"Who knew I'd run into you?" He didn't expect a reply, and wasn't upset when he met none. She was being abnormally quiet, so he sighed. He wished she'd tell him what was wrong. He was pretty sure this wasn't all because of a vulcan attack. Lucy had fought a few before, and she'd _never_ reacted like this. Something else was going on, and that made him anxious.

The fire dragon slayer continued to walk in silence, carrying Lucy close to his body until he reached the house he shared with Happy. It was a bit difficult opening the door while carrying the blonde, but he managed. Just like when he left, the house was still empty when he returned.

Lucy immediately felt the rise in temperature once they entered. It was so warm compared to the late autumn air outside. It felt comforting, relaxing. It felt the opposite of her emotions which held pain and embarrassment.

She felt safe in Natsu's house. Gray wouldn't think to look here for her. He probably went to her apartment, or maybe the guild. That is, _if_ he even went looking for her. He seemed pretty _occupied_. Lucy was thankful Gray didn't have Natsu's sense of smell, so there was no way he could track her down to the forest. Yeah, this place was safe.

The pink haired man went to the couch and gently placed Lucy on it. He helped her get into a sitting position, since it seemed she lost some strength from crying. He just wished he had a bed so she could properly rest, but he still hadn't gotten around to buying one yet. He figured she'd like the couch rather than the old hammock he used for sleeping.

"I'll go get you something to drink," Natsu walked to the kitchen where he fetched a glass to fill with water. Before returning to her, he ran a towel under warm water to help clean her up. It took awhile for the dragon slayer to find the clean cup and towel, since he had poor housekeeping skills.

Natsu took a seat on the left side of the blonde. She thanked him when he handed her the water and towel. He was surprised that she drank the whole glass without a break. She set it down on the floor since he didn't have a table nearby.

He watched quietly as she wiped the dirt from her face and arms. When she moved to clean her thighs he had to look away. It was to hard for him, being this close to Lucy and not tell her how he truly felt.

He hadn't been alone with her in the past few months. They used to spend entire days together, now he was lucky if he got to talk to her at the guild. Sure they still went on missions together, but it was always with Gray and Erza. Even then, he noticed the way she was pulling away from him. Ever since-

"Thank you," Lucy's soft voice resonated in his ears.

He glanced over to her. She wore no smile, but her face was free from tears. Her pale hand was holding out the dirty towel. Most of the dirt was gone from her body, but her clothes were still messy. He'd offer to let her borrow some of his, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Besides, most of his clothes hadn't been washed for a while.

He grinned at her, the way he always did. "No problem, Luce," he discarded the towel on the floor, next to a pile of dumbbells and a large, rusty gear. He realized he'd have to clean up soon, the place was getting a little out of control.

The blonde didn't respond to his smile like she normally did. Usually her cheeks would turn pink, but they were just as pale as ever.

He realized it was odd that she'd be around this area in the first place. He was sure she said she had plans, and Lucy never willingly went into the woods unless it was for a mission or to take a shortcut to the next town. "Wanna talk about what you were doin' in the forest?"

"No, not really," she said, her voice laced with sadness.

She had been so happy earlier when he saw her at the guild. Now she was so lifeless, _dull_. Natsu hated seeing her like this. What was worse was she didn't seem to want his help. He might actually be able to do something to make her happy again, but she wouldn't give him a chance.

She obviously wasn't in the mood to talk about her problems, but maybe she'd be willing to talk about something else? He had to try. She was his best friend, and he just wanted to see her smile.

"That's fine," he finally answered. Without much thought, he placed his right hand on her left shoulder. He met her troubled gaze with a half-smile, "let's talk about something else than?"

She nodded, a half-smile of her own surfaced on her face. "I'd like that, Natsu."

"Great."

The duo begin to talk about her last mission. She laughed, saying Loke almost didn't show up again because he was about to go on a date with Aries. Natsu asked where celestial spirits even go on dates, to which Lucy just shrugged her shoulders. They'd both been to the celestial world a few times and there weren't typical restaurants or other places normal people would deem suitable for a date.

That's when Natsu blurted out that his idea of a good date would just be to hang out. It didn't matter what they did, as long as they were together. Before Lucy could comment, he added that food had to be involved though, which made her giggle. Of course Natsu would have to drag food into it.

His blushing face was enough to make her change the subject out of fear. She was hurting, and letting her emotions and unrequited feelings get the better of her wasn't going to help anyone. She was supposed to be over her pesky feelings for him, and seeing the pink tint on his tanned cheeks was making her heart throb for a whole other reason.

Changing the subject back to her mission, she told Natsu about how she sulked for a bit that her spirits each took out two men, while she only took out one. Virgo had requested punishment in hopes to lift Lucy's spirit. The blonde had denied the request, saying how crazy her celestial friends were.

Natsu congratulated her on a job well down regardless, saying he was proud of her for coming so far. He told her about the first time he tried to take on a mission. He had lied and said he could read what the job was asking for, but Mira called his bluff.

Lucy commented about how she heard Mira used to be a lot tougher, to which Natsu said she was really mean to him. He likes the white-haired lady now a lot more than back then, because at least now she's nice to him.

Natsu said he had broken down in front of everyone, swearing that he knew how to read, but nothing on the paper made sense to him.

That had resulted in a crash course on reading, taught by the fearsome Erza. Lucy laughed as he told her about how strict she was, and how he kept trying to runaway, only to have the redhead drag him back by his hair and force him to learn. It took three full days for her to teach him.

It had paid off though, and before he knew it he was taking jobs left and right. Of course they weren't extreme jobs like they do today, but they were still fun for an adventurous child. That was before he found Happy's egg. After adding the blue exceed to the mix, he had to take on even more jobs so they could build a house together... The house they were currently in.

Lucy's smile had returned, forgetting about her earlier problems, and just enjoying the time spent talking with her best friend. He was so passionate when he talked, and she fought hard to resist the urge to blush when he made direct eye contact. His infectious grin was heartwarming. She was having a great time being in the company of the dragon slayer and his silly behavior.

All good things must come to an end though.

The conversation took a dark turn when Natsu mentioned the first mission he took with a partner.

"Master thought it'd be good for me an' Gray to partner up, since we were always fighting each other," Natsu said, not noticing the way Lucy's eye twitched at the mention of the ice-make wizard. "He thought we could get over our differences by working as a team."

The pink haired man laughed as he recalled a memory.

"It turned out horribly. We spent the whole time arguing, and I had to split the reward with him even though _I_ did most of the work," Natsu sighed, "well I guess he did _some_ of the work, but still. I think he just- Hey! Why're you crying again?"

Natsu panicked. Lucy had just been laughing with him, and now her cheeks were stained with those droplets of tears. She was crying again, and somehow _he_ was the cause. He didn't know what he did, and he cringed knowing she was probably upset at him now.

He couldn't stand to see those big brown eyes filled with so much sadness, especially if he was to blame. He wanted to provide her with comfort, but he couldn't do much if she wouldn't tell him what was wrong. All he wanted was her to feel better, to be the happy Lucy he loved so much.

He didn't want to upset her more, but he didn't know what else to do. Natsu wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm hug. Lucy shook in his arms, but she didn't try to push him away. In fact her hands gripped his vest, clinging to him like a lifeline.

The dragon slayer felt so close to her. It was like her body was melting against him. He felt his body heating up as urges started surfacing. Natsu tried to ignore the small voice in the back of his head, but he was desperate, and maybe, _just maybe_ , it really could help...

Slowly, he leaned in towards her. She saw it coming, because her eyes never left his. His warm, chapped lips pressed against her cheek so gently that she swore he never kissed her at all.

It was brief, and before she knew it he was pulling away. She had expected him to do something else. Kiss her _somewhere_ else...

It was only then that she realized she really _wanted_ him to kiss her. Letting herself give up control, she reacted on her inner desires. She didn't give him time to put enough distance between them before her lips sought out his. She put enough force behind it to show it was no accident that their lips met.

The dragon slayer's eyes widened, shocked by her impulsive action. He made no effort to move though, honestly he didn't want to. This was what he truly wanted, Lucy's touch.

He watched as Lucy's own eyes fluttered closed, and she cupped his cheeks. She made no effort to part from his lips, and he was thankful for that. In that moment, everything felt right.

Her natural scent filled the air around him. Usually she was doused in smells from her body wash or shampoo, but through the sweating she did from running, and the dirt dulling the perfumes, she smelt like Lucy. That was his favorite smell of all time.

Natsu kissed Lucy back. He shouldn't have been so surprised by his own eagerness to return the kiss, but he was. She was his everything, even if she had no idea about his feelings. He relished in the soothing affects her lips had on his own.

There was always the chance of her regretting the kiss. If she changed her mind and stopped then Natsu could always blame his actions on hormones, even it that would be a lie.

She roughened the kiss, her fingers sliding to his neck to unwind the white, scaly scarf until it landed behind him. She then slipped her fingers through his pink hair and tugged him closer. Natsu was always there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on, and she tried to show him how thankful she was in that kiss.

He seemed to have received the message, because a growl rumbled in his throat as his tongue darted out to taste her lips. They were sweet but somewhat salty from her tears. Lucy immediately opened her mouth, inviting the dragon slayer to explore her cavern. He wasted no time, tasting every delicious bit of her mouth.

His head was spinning. _'This has to be a dream...'_ He was in denial, since he never thought he'd get to kiss her.

Their tongues danced. He'd never kissed someone before, so he was unsure if he was doing it right. Then Lucy let out a small moan, and his doubts were erased. She liked whatever he was doing, so he didn't stop.

His hands brushed against her shoulders before he gripped them. She was so soft, even with the bits of dirt she missed still clinging to her skin. Lucy's own hands were still intertwined in his pink strands, straining to get him even closer. It seemed impossible though, considering his nose was digging into her cheek and vice versa. He wasn't complaining though, even if his nose was filled with the scent of tears.

Natsu loved every bit of this, but he knew what it was. She was just sad and looking for an outlet. He just happened to be available. It pained him to think she could be doing this with anyone else, but he still didn't stop.

He hated seeing Lucy cry, and if this was how he could comfort her, then he was more than willing to help. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't thrilled this was happening. She was the most beautiful person in the world to him, inside and out. He... He loved her. He wanted her, but he knew he couldn't actually have her.

She was Lucy, and he didn't deserve someone like her. Someone who was filled with so much light was not meant for a destructive, loud, and dangerous guy like him.

Summoning all of his inner strength, he pulled away from her heavenly lips. He took in a sharp breath, letting the oxygen fill his neglected lungs. He hadn't realized how intense kissing could be.

"Why'd you stop?" Lucy asked, her own breathing labored as well.

"I," he didn't want to stop, but he knew... This could ruin their friendship, and it was better to end whatever was going on now, before it was too late. Lucy was to important to him. He didn't want to risk everything just for a few minutes of pleasure.

"You don't really want this, Luce," as if to solidify his point, Natsu added with a heavy heart, "you don't want me."

"Actually," Lucy started, her hands sliding down his hair until they landed on the nape of his neck. "I do," she said, pulling him back into a sweet kiss.

* * *

 **And there's chapter two. Things are starting to heat up. This story was originally supposed to be a one shot, but if you've read my other story 'Hakobe Ice' then you know I'm** _ **horrible**_ **at writing one shots. If you haven't read it then I recommend it since it's already finished.**

 **Thank you for the favs/follows! Thank you for the reviews: MarSofTheGalaxies, Guest, Oby Abel, xoxoGG, Gh0st's buddy, FlameDragonHime, Jazmin-Chan Senpai, fanficlove2014, & Satisfied Reader.**

 **Your kind words made me so incredibly happy! Thank you again. :)**

 **I hope you like the story, and continue to read it. There are four more chapters to go, so I hope you stick around to see how it ends. Let me know what you think of it so far. :) Up next, Chapter three: Heat.**


	3. Heat

**Hey! Just wanted to say thank you for the suggestions I received! It's good to know your opinions so I can make my story better.**

 **So I have a confession to make. This story will now be** _ **seven**_ **chapters long. I went a little crazy with this chapter, and chopped it into two chapters (making the story six chapters total) but then I made the first half way to long, so instead of posting a chapter that would be over 7,000 words, I'm posting it as two chapters (bringing the total to seven). Sorry if that was confusing, I just wanted to make it clear.**

 **Anyways, without further ado...**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Heat**

A prolonged moan escaped Lucy as she reached new heights she never thought imaginable.

Currently the blonde was underneath a man. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in passion and determination. He was sending wave after wave of pure pleasure through her entire body.

Her long legs were hooked over strong, tan shoulders. The only clothing she wore was her black thigh high stockings. All other articles had been stripped from her body by a seductive beast.

Yet 'beast' didn't seem to suit him.

He was more like a fiery _dragon_.

"Na... Natsu!" Lucy arched her back, pressing herself closer to his hungry mouth.

The pink haired man was devouring her, tasting every inch of her womanhood. It felt amazing, and she mentally cursed herself for remembering that this was her best friend doing these - _wonderfully amazing_ \- things to her and not someone she was in a relationship with.

She vaguely wondered how they'd even ended up like this: Lucy laying on the wooden floor with Natsu eating her out like a starved man.

Her thoughts ventured back to their first kiss. She had been filled with so much doubt earlier. She feared he wouldn't want to keep going.

Those effects didn't last though. They were wearing off faster than Natsu's devilish tongue. And that thing was _extremely_ fast, no matter what part of her flushed body he licked.

 **40 minutes earlier**

Lucy didn't know how long they'd been kissing, but judging by how swollen her lips were, she guessed a while. They hadn't said another word since she told him she _wanted_ to kiss him. His hands had moved a few times, from her shoulders to her neck, then finally resting on her waist.

Natsu's house was warm, but the area around his body was scorching. The blonde had to shrug off her pink jacket in an attempt to cool down from the blazing heat. He was so hot, and not just in an attractive way.

"Natsu," she moaned, pulling away from his lips. She could feel the first beads of sweat forming on her forehead, "so hot..."

"Sorry," he groaned as he sucked on her bottom lip, leaving it puffy and red. He released the tender skin as he licked the sore area, "I didn't know." A few seconds passed by and she felt the overwhelming heat die down into a comforting warmth.

 _'That's a new bit of information.'_ When Natsu gets aroused, he looses control of his body temperature. She'd have to keep that in mind, but right now she was to busy pushing his vest off.

The material fell to the floor just like her discarded jacket. It was still hot around him, but there was nothing they could do about it. It's not like they could ask someone like Gray to come over and cool the place down.

Lucy's eyes shut as she tried to block the image of Gray threatening to appear in her mind. She was trying to forget about him, because the memory of the ice-make wizard only brought her pain now.

There was no excuse Gray could use, she didn't tolerate cheating, and she was done with him. There wasn't enough apologizes in the world to make her feel okay again. She couldn't work things out with him even if she wanted to. He broke her trust, and that was all there was to it.

When Lucy opened her eyes she realized she'd climbed in Natsu's lap during her troubled thoughts. _'When did that happen?'_

His dark green eyes bore into her own. He was looking at her as if nothing else mattered, and the idea scared her. ' _Does he have feelings for me? No, that's silly.'_

He was probably just turned on from a woman's touch. It'd be no different if someone like Lisanna were here straddling his waist. _'It's just a natural reaction.'_

A wave of sadness flowed through her. _'Is that true? Does it really not matter_ who _he's with?'_ Lucy forced the thought away. In all honesty, it was okay if he was just using her as a means for sexual gratification. That's what she was doing... Right?

Natsu's tongue tickled the roof of her mouth and a heated jolt ran down her spine. Lucy let out a small whimper into his mouth as she faced reality. _'It's not like I deserve him anyways. Especially now...'_

Deep down inside Lucy knew it was wrong to exploit Natsu like this. She was hurting and he was there. It had _nothing_ to do with the fact that she'd always wondered what it'd feel like to explore his body, feel his hot touch against her, or kiss that mouth she'd grown so fond of.

At least that's what she told herself. Truthfully she was just trying to lessen the pain for when Natsu eventually rejects her, similar to how Gray had. It was inevitable after all.

She was sure that when the dragon slayer snapped out of whatever daze he was in, he'd come to his senses and tell her this is a mistake.

Is it?

It sure didn't feel like a mistake. Even while she was kissing him she couldn't deny how comfortable she felt in his arms.

Who knew Natsu was such a passionate and exciting man? Her thoughts were shattered when Natsu's hands began to move, making Lucy dangerously aware of the new position she was in.

Lucy was suddenly insecure about wearing such a short skirt. In her position the material had bunched around her hips, showing _way_ to much thigh for Natsu's hungry eyes. Her exposed flesh didn't go unnoticed as he ran his warm hands over her thighs, changing paths occasionally so his fingertips brushed under her pink skirt, touching the edge of her panties.

A jolt ran down her spine at the idea of how far he might go.

As much as Lucy knew she should stop him, a greater force inside her wanted Natsu to touch her more! He was so close, yet all he was doing was teasing the poor blonde. She was about to rip her mouth away from his and ask him - _more like demand him_ \- to stop teasing and get on with it or stop, but that's when she noticed something wrong.

Natsu Dragneel, who was usually so confident... had trembling fingers?

Lucy was beyond confused. It was almost as if he was _scared_ of her?

"Natsu?" The blonde mumbled against his mouth, wanting to talk but not wanting to sever the connection between their lips.

"Hmmm?" His eyes were glossed over and his body had tensed up.

She pulled away, only to be met with a jutted lip from the dragon slayer. _'He looks cute even when he's pouting...'_ Lucy forced herself to concentrate. She already assumed the answer, but she had to ask anyways. "Is this your first time kissing someone?"

A flaming blush coated his cheeks as his vision flitted to their laps. There was a small gap between them, and Natsu secretly wished he could feel her pressing completely against him. That thought only served to make his face heat up more. He felt lucky just kissing her, and pushing his luck any further was sure to end whatever _this_ was.

In a soft tone, Natsu muttered, "yes."

It was almost as if he felt ashamed to admit it, but she thought it was endearing. Before Gray she hadn't kissed anyone either. Maybe the dragon slayer thought she was implying that he was bad, which was definitely not the case!

Her hand cupped his cheek, gently guiding him to meet her gaze again. "Do you want to continue? Or do you want to stop?"

She held her breath as she waited for a reply. She was giving him an out, and she prayed to the Celestial King that he wouldn't take it. It felt like minutes passed when really it was only three seconds. Three seconds of pure torture.

He shook his head slowly, "I don't want to stop." His voice made him sound dazed, but his eyes were fierce and clear.

A smile formed on Lucy's pink lips, "neither do I." She leaned in again, pressing her lips to his. He didn't hesitate to return the kiss, his hands going back to work, absent the trembling. They both wanted this, and that was enough for the time being.

Natsu thought maybe he could finally tell her how he feels. _'Aren't actions louder than words though?'_ He hoped she would understand how he felt by the way his lips moved against hers. He had never felt the desire to kiss anyone else but her.

She was his everything, and he desperately wished he would have told her earlier. Maybe then he could have avoided so much heartache, so much pain from seeing her, but not being about to really be with her. He knew he didn't deserve her, but _damn it_ , if she would give him a chance he would do everything in his power to make her happy.

But her happiness is one of the reasons he stayed away. He read her novel - _without her permission_ \- and no where in it did she say a woman would be interested in a loud-mouthed, destructive, pyro guy. No, she wrote about well-mannered princes, knights in shining armor, and calm gentlemen. Lucy didn't want someone like him, because he simply wasn't her _type_. He was just a reckless dragon who would never win the heart of the princess.

Natsu's fingers brushed against her panties again and a lump formed in his throat. Kissing became difficult for a minute while he tried to clear his throat without leaving her sweet lips. He was so close to her most intimate area, and she hadn't tried to push him away at all. He wondered how far she wanted to take this.

He was willing to do anything to make her feel better, even at the cost of his own sanity, because that's what it was going to cost him. He already felt the heartache that was bound to come when she ended this. He would have to go the rest of his life knowing he'd kissed those soft lips and felt those delicious curves of her body, all while watching her spend her life with someone else.

No, he couldn't tell her how he felt. It would just be that much more painful dealing with the rejection. She didn't have to say anything for him to know the truth. Lucy's heart was not his to claim, no matter how much it ripped him apart, he had to play the role of the best friend.

 _'It's not that bad...'_ Natsu thought as Lucy sucked on his tongue while running her hands over his exposed chest. _'I'd rather be her friend than be her nothing...'_

The celestial wizard was enjoying the fluttering her heart felt when she touched Natsu's chest. Her hands moved between his pecs and abs, dipping her fingers into the spaces between his hard muscles. She could feel the power residing under his flesh. His skin was covered in small scars and sweat. He had the body of a fighter, and he worked hard to earn it.

Lucy felt the slight shivers running through Natsu's body as she touched him, and she craved the same reaction. The blonde was terrified that he'd reject the idea, but her urges were stronger than her fear. She ended the kiss in a flash, wanting to increase the pleasure.

"Touch me here," Lucy instructed, grabbing one of his hands and pressing it against her large chest.

He looked hesitant at first, wondering if this was some sort of test. He'd touched her breasts before, but always on accident or a misunderstanding, and he _always_ got slapped for it. Most times the insult 'pervert' was screamed along with the punishment.

The only thing to spur him on was the fact that _she_ put his hand there, so she must want it... Right?

His warm hand work to knead her breast, loving how it felt under his fingers. The blonde let out a soft sound as her head fell back. Lucy's moans let him know he was doing well, so he kept it up. He could feel the tiny bumps under her shirt, and guessed her nipples were reacting to his touch.

Her body wasn't the only one reacting. He could feel the way his pants tightened with every moan she let out. He was so incredibly turned on that it almost hurt. He really wanted to pull Lucy closer to him, to relieve the throbbing beneath his white shorts. He wouldn't do it though, because he didn't know her boundaries. It was safer to just wait for her to call the shots, that way he can't get in trouble for touching her without permission.

Natsu only watched her face as he squeezed her breasts, admiring how beautiful she looked even with her eyes shut and her mouth parted. He missed the feeling of her lips already, but her breasts were a nice substitute.

Admittedly he'd been fascinated by her breasts, and always wondered what they were really like. The few time he touched them had not been enough, and even though this was good, he wanted more of her. Desire spiked in him and before he knew it, his hand heated up to an alarming temperature.

Still watching Lucy, Natsu didn't notice the small line of smoke lifting into the air and dancing around them. The only thing Natsu cared about right now was seeing how her face changed as he grabbed her chest.

Lucy sucked in a sharp breath as the pleasure suddenly died and pain took over. "What the?" She pulled away, but it was too late. A small flame attached itself to her black shirt, right between Natsu's palm and the Hearts Kreuz logo. "Fuck!"

Natsu was in a daze and only just now registered her screaming. Once he saw the flame he reacted. Both hands gripped the material caught on fire and pulled apart, ripping her expensive shirt in the process.

The dragon slayer couldn't breath in the fire since it was caused by his own magic, so he settled for suppressing the fire with his hands until the lack of air caused the flame to die.

The tattered remains of the shirt fell to the floor, and Natsu feared for his life that Lucy would try to take her revenge. He didn't have to wait long. His ears were pained when she started shouting, "What was that! You could have hurt me!"

If Natsu was capable of cowering down into a little ball he would have. Her face was red with either anger or embarrassment, and the dragon slayer didn't have enough sense to _not_ look down at her chest now. He admired how beautiful her soft breasts looked before assessing the damage he caused.

He had managed to keep the flames from touching her skin, but he couldn't say the same thing about her bra. It was partially burnt, but not enough to touch her body. The thing was black made out of a black material with grey lace trim. The color revolted him, because it instantly reminded Natsu of _him_.

Without thinking about it, the dragon slayer cringed.

"And another thing, why did-" Lucy's shouting stopped once he made a disgusted face. Her face felt hot and her heart constricted. She swallowed, her throat suddenly felt dry. "Oh," she said in the tiniest voice she could muster.

Natsu finally looked back up at her face to see tears lining her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, then became speechless when she crawled off him. "Sorry," Lucy said when she sat on the floor facing away from him. She drew her legs up to cover her chest, feeling the shame wash over her and stain her mood.

"Wh-" Natsu didn't know what he did wrong this time, _well_ , besides almost burning her. Judging from when she reacted to him, it wasn't from that. It was something after he ripped her shirt. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, not trusting her voice. She was already feeling insecure from what she witnessed with Gray, and now to see Natsu's face after he saw her without a shirt on, it was too much. She didn't want to see the rejection on his face again... Didn't want to see the disgust...

She heard the couch squeak, then bare feet padding over the wooden floor to her. Two warm hands wrapped around her body, pulling her into an awkward hug. "I'm sorry for whatever I did wrong, Luce."

The blonde sniffled before teasing out her voice with a suppressed cough. "It's okay. I can't fault you for not liking what you saw."

"What do you mean?" The fire dragon slayer asked, face buried in her golden hair. She smelt amazing, and he could breathe her in all day. The scent helped to calm his troubled nerves.

"It doesn't matter," Lucy began to tremble, "I should get going."

"Wait," Natsu said with urgency laced in his voice as he tightened the grip around her. "Please don't leave," he hadn't realized how desperate he sounded, but he didn't care. He was finally showing Lucy how he felt, and he didn't want it to end. His heart constricted at the thought of her leaving him, of never getting to touch her in such an intimate way again.

"Why would I stay if you don't find me attractive?"

The pink haired man pulled away from her with wide eyes. "What do you mean? Of course I find you-" That's when it dawned on him. The face he made earlier triggered this reaction.

He tightened the grip he had on her again, his body temperature raising slightly from the guilt he now felt. "No no no, I wasn't grossed out by _you_ , I just didn't like that color."

"Color?" Lucy asked, tears still lingering in her brown eyes.

"Grey," Natsu said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I just don't like seeing that color on you is all, and it's on your bra." He didn't want to admit that it reminded him of his oldest rival, the ice-make wizard.

But he didn't have to for the blonde to know what he was talking about.

Images of Gray flashed through Lucy's mind at the mention of the color. Her breathing picked up as she shook her head. "Take it off," she commanded, her voice sounded stronger than she thought it would.

"Huh?" Natsu was in denial. She had just been so upset, there's no way she said-

"Take my bra off," Lucy reiterated, loosening the grip she had on her legs, but Natsu's hold kept her in place.

The celestial wizard didn't know if she was ready to be completely topless in front of Natsu, but she hated the idea of being covered in something that now reminded her of the cheating ice-make wizard. She'd rather be naked than think of Gray.

Natsu hesitated before asking, "are you sure?"

"Yes," the celestial wizard nodded hard.

The dragon slayer didn't ask again. His hands let go of Lucy, trailing over her arms until they ended up at her bra strap. The thing didn't look that complicated, what with the simple two hooks. He unsnapped them, watching the material slack against her pale skin.

Lucy did the rest, pulling the undergarment off her body and letting it fall to the floor. It went forgotten, along with the other clothes they'd lost in the process. Her arms crossed over her chest before she shifted, turning around the face the pink haired man.

Natsu used his thumb to delicately wipe away the left-over tears from her face. She gave him a nervous smile, but he didn't know why she felt that way. "You're beautiful," he finally said as he cupped her cheek.

His heart was pounding from those two simple words. He'd never said that to her before, and now he was worried she'd know he felt that way all along. Since the first day he met her in Hargeon, he knew she was beautiful, and the longer he knew her the more he liked her. It had been a slow building attraction, but when Natsu finally realized his feelings for her it was like his heart was set on fire -in a good way. He was worried, but with Lucy there really was no need to be.

Lucy's smile relaxed at his words, and her heart warmed. _'Natsu thinks I'm beautiful?'_ The idea seemed ridiculous. She had convinced herself that the dragon slayer wasn't interested in relationships, dating, etc... But what if she'd been wrong? _'Maybe I should ask him if... No, he wouldn't want me... Especially when he finds out I've been with Gray.'_

She wished she could go back in time and just ask Natsu out instead. Maybe he would have laughed at her, but at least then she'd know if he liked her or not. Getting made fun of for something like that would have been a hundred times less painful than walking in on her boyfriend with another woman.

No amount of wishing could fix her mistakes, and now she had to live with the consequences. And that unfortunately meant she could never be with Natsu, no matter how much she truly wanted to.

Lucy felt her eyes prick, she was on the verge of tearing up, but she wouldn't allow herself to show that sadness to Natsu. It wasn't his fault she decided to go out with the ice-make wizard. She had to face the facts. There's no way Natsu would want her after finding out, and she would _have_ to tell him... It was the right thing to do.

It would be wrong to try to pursue a relationship with the fire dragon slayer without disclosing that information. It wouldn't be fair to him, and she couldn't put him through that type of pain if he found out _after_ she tried to date him.

No, she'd once again shove her feelings aside. It was better for both of them this way. He never had to know how she felt.

This might be her only chance to show him how much he means to her without actually confessing, even if it meant crossing a line in their friendship. _Hell_ , they crossed that line a long time ago. Right now all that mattered was that he wanted her, and she wanted him. Lucy could sort out the bullshit later, and just enjoy this rare opportunity to be intimate with Natsu while it lasted.

* * *

 **Well, that was a fun chapter to write. :) Sorry if it's a cliffhanger, but don't worry, their fun is not over yet. ;)**

 **Thank you all for the added favs/follows! I hope that means people enjoy my story. And thank you to those who reviewed: MarSofTheGalaxies, Oby Abel, Gh0st's buddy, kittykate2016, Guest, Crimsonlink310, caslspirit15, Ryuoujin, FlameDragonHime, & mikethepokemaster(x2). **

**It is very much appreciated. Once again, I accept constructive criticism if you have some, or just let me know what you thought.**

 **I'll see you next time with Chapter Four: Sensation.**

 **Question: How long is to long for a chapter? Would 7,000 words been too much? Just curious if I should have chopped this in half or left it one super long chapter?**


	4. Sensation

**Chapter Four: Sensation**

Lucy gently cupped Natsu's cheek, and he took that as an invitation to plant a soft kiss on her lips. She responded by returning the kiss, slowly letting go of her naked breasts to press her hands against his chest again.

The dragon slayer felt his resolve crumble away with every passing minute. If Lucy really didn't want him to do something than she would tell him, so until then, he decided to act on his urges. They were clawing at his mind, trying desperately to escape and take form through actions.

Natsu's hands grabbed her hips and pulled her onto him until her legs went on both sides of his body. She straddled him again, because Natsu had not gotten enough of that position the first time. Lucy didn't seem to mind, and actually closed the gap between them, her lower region ground onto his crotch, and she felt a hard bulge in his white shorts.

The dragon slayer moaned from the delicious friction Lucy was creating. He was getting lost in the world of lust and ecstasy as Lucy kissed him while continuing to dry hump his lap.

Natsu knew they were already in dangerous territories. The further they slipped, the harder going back to _just friends_ would be.

Any hopes of keeping up a normal friendship after this dwindled away the more they slipped, and he feared for a possible future without Lucy's friendship. However, Natsu didn't stop, because he feared that he'd regret not taking his chance to finally be intimate with Lucy far more.

She felt amazing against his body! All he wanted was more, and a greedy dragon takes what he wants. His hands cupped her firm ass, pulling her closer to him, until his strained erection was rubbing against her panties with no chances of a gap forming.

It was Lucy's turn to whimper as she felt that heat radiating from his crotch. Natsu really didn't know how to control his temperature. That was something they'd have to work on.

 _'Work on?'_ Lucy found herself thinking. She assumed this was a one time thing, but _maybe_ it could be the start of something new? Something great? She sure hoped so, but a part of her was still reserved.

She doubted Natsu would like her when he found out she'd been with Gray before. Not only that, but the dragon slayer was her best friend, and if he didn't want to keep whatever they had going on after today, then she'd just have to respect that, even if it would hurt to never be with him again. She was quickly finding out how addicting he could be.

"Natsu," Lucy ended their kiss slowly as she pressed their sweaty foreheads together, "your heat."

"I'm doing it again?" The dragon slayer asked breathlessly, wondering why his temperature kept messing up. His voice was laced with lust and aggravation as he started to think about possible causes.

So far his body only heated up when he fought. That was when his blood was pumping from all the excitement and adrenaline and- "Oh," he realized - _a long time after Lucy did_ \- that it was because he was turned on. "I don't know how to fix it."

"Just try," the blonde ground her hips against his body, sending jolts of pleasure through both participants.

Natsu's jaw strained as he forced his temperature to stay in check. It was extremely difficult with Lucy grinding against him, and he knew exactly what she was doing. She was testing him, training him, trying to get him to overcome this new obstacle.

"Okay," the dragon slayer said in a husky voice, "I think I got it."

Lucy nodded, but her grinding did not stop. In fact it only sped up, causing Natsu to grip her ass tighter as his mind went blank for a moment. " _Fuck,_ Luce," he grunted as he tried desperately to remain in control, but she was pushing him past his limits and then some.

"Stop!" Natsu bellowed as he pushed her off him.

She expected a rough impact with the floor, but Natsu caught her. Tense arms gently set her down on her back. "What are you doing Natsu?"

"I can't think when you do that," the dragon slayer said, straddling her waist. He made sure to keep most of his weight on his legs, not wanting to crush the blonde. His eyes were locked on her, a serious expression on his face. "If I do _anything_ you don't want me to do, tell me, please. I'll stop, but you have to tell me."

Lucy nodded, unsure of what he meant by that. _'He wants to keep going?'_

She had been consumed by lust. Feeling Natsu's needy hands pull her onto him earlier had spurred something within her, telling her it was okay to let go of control. She knew he would never hurt her, but she was scared of hurting him. All thoughts died when she saw his hands move to his waist.

The pink haired man proceeded to unbuckle the brown belt holding up his gold trimmed, black material he wore around his waist. He discarded the clothes, leaving him in nothing but his white shorts.

Lucy gulped, wondering if he planned on taking off more clothing. Unfortunately for her he didn't, but he did please her when he leaned in to plant an intense kiss on her lips.

His hands went to her breasts, trailing over the soft and tender skin with his rough fingers. He was hesitant, making sure she was okay with his touches before applying more pressure. Without complaints from the blonde, he squeezed them while his tongue invaded her mouth.

They were so large that supple flesh spilled between his fingers. She was exquisite, and let out a delicious sound when he squeezed them again. He swallowed her moans as he continued to knead her breasts.

"You sound amazing," Natsu said when he pulled away from her swollen lips. He looked at her with lust and appreciation laced in his green eyes. He was like a different person when he was in control.

Lucy figured it'd be a good idea to let him explore her for a while, to test how far he actually wanted to go. Plus the thought of being dominated by Natsu excited her, enough to make her press her thighs together tightly in an attempt to relieve the pressure that had been building up since this all began.

In the blink of an eye, Natsu was tasting, touching, and enjoying her body like he never thought possible.

He was all over the place. He'd grope places Lucy didn't even know were erogenous zones. Like the way he caressed the back of her knee, or how he kept running his hands over her forearms. She never thought such touches could create a delicious amount of anticipation that pumped through her veins, spreading to every inch of her body.

Natsu was full of passion. Full of _fire!_

His touches burned in the best ways when he remained in control of his temperature, and she relished the heat surrounding her flushed body. He devoured her, licking every inch of her skin he could get to. He particularly loved her neck and collarbone, leaving love bites on the pale skin. She could feel himself trying to hold back. The strain in his arms was a dead giveaway.

When he finally licked her breasts Lucy lost it. He noted that the small pink circles of skin around her perky nipples were softer than the rest of her body. When he dragged his hot tongue across her bud she let out a silent cry.

Natsu was taking his time to enjoy every bit of her, loving how responsive the blonde was. He didn't know how long this was going to last, so he savored every moment and committed it to memory.

He felt her newly manicured nails scraping his scalp as she tugged on his pink locks. A low, approving rumble emitted from his throat.

The vibrations traveled through his mouth that was currently wrapped around the nipple he'd been neglecting. Lucy bucked her hips, trying to relieve the intense pressure building at her core. Natsu was teasing her, and she didn't know if he was doing it on purpose or not. Still, Lucy couldn't deny how fantastic everything he did felt.

His hands were warm and heavenly, running over her needy body in a way that made her breathless. She hated comparing the only two men she'd been intimate with, but Natsu's warm hands felt so much better than Gray's icy ones.

That wasn't the only comparison she made though.

Gray was more experienced, and moved with specific goals in mind. He _knew_ what to do to turn a woman on. The ice-make wizard was always cool and collected when it came to being intimate. Even though it felt great, it was always missing a certain spark.

Now Natsu, he was completely different.

He made heat simmer in her belly when he played with her. The way Natsu moved his body was so refreshing. Lucy could feel the desire and need radiating from the dragon slayer. He was acting like Lucy meant the world to him, even if she knew it wasn't true.

He put so much effort into making her feel good, and hadn't once asked her to do something for him. Although, she hoped he would soon, because she would be more than happy to return the pleasure he was giving. Until then, she would enjoy whatever he was willing to give.

And _damn_ , was he a generous dragon.

Her fingernails dug into his back, and Natsu let out a grunt. He had no idea he'd love this type of pain, and wanted her to do more. He sucked on the swollen nipple, trying to coax her into scratching him harder.

She complied, leaving red welts along his toned back.

Natsu was a few seconds away from switching to the other breast when Lucy cried out, "please, just touch me!"

The dragon slayer raised a pink brow. _'What does she mean?'_ He was beyond confused as he pulled away from her to give an incredulous look. He shifted on his knees to get off of her, sitting by her side. "Aren't I already doing that?"

She shook her head, her cheeks blazing with heat from the embarrassing outburst. She pushed past her anxiety to clarify what she meant. "I want you to touch me down there." She looked down at her skirt as if it were obvious.

The look he gave in return told her he wasn't quite sure what she meant. It was now or never... They were already past the point of no return, why not make the most of it?

Steeling her nerves, she reached for the side of her skirt. Natsu watched carefully as she unzipped it, and the pink material opened, revealing her solid black, lacy panties.

Natsu's breath hitched as he watched her pull her skirt down, slipping it past her legs until it was completely off her curvaceous body. She discarded the clothing to the side and reached for her panties.

"Wait," the pink haired man found himself saying.

Lucy blinked up at him, confused and scared of what he was going to say next.

 _'I crossed a line, didn't I?'_ The blonde prepared herself for a rejection that was sure to come.

The dragon slayer took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart. That's when he caught the scent. For a second Natsu's whole world went blank, before he snapped back to reality.

Lucy smelled _amazing_!

His eyes zeroed in on her panties again. He was about to tell her he didn't think they should do this, because he didn't want her to regret anything and resent him later, but that _smell_. It was mouth-watering, intoxicating, and delicious.

He needed more!

Natsu slowly ran his fingers over her lovely thighs. Her skin was covered in goosebumps that vanished when he touched her with heated hands. He trailed them up, getting closer to his target.

The dragon slayers fingers rubbed over the lacy material, over her hips and away from her womanhood. Lucy had no idea what had come over him, but she didn't want to say anything. It was like she convinced herself that if she stayed perfectly still he wouldn't stop, because she definitely didn't want him to stop!

Then, Natsu leaned in.

Before Lucy knew what happened, her panties were being ripped from her body and pressed against his sensitive nose.

The celestial wizard didn't even have time to register the slight sting from his actions. She opened her mouth to say something... _anything_... but nothing came out when she heard him breathing in.

Natsu was actually _sniffing_ her panties, and the idea of it sent shocks through her spine.

She watched in fascination as he kneeled by her, one hand clutching the panties that were smashed against his face, while his other hand reached lower, until it brushed against the clearly large bulge in his shorts. His eyes were glossy as he stared at the bunched up panties in his hand.

Lucy was in a trance, watching the man get so affected by her aroused scent. She knew his nose was sensitive, so it must be a lot stronger to him than a normal human. Even she could smell her body, so Natsu was probably getting an overdose right now.

The idea thrilled her!

Lucy quickly unzipped her boots and tugged them off. She was shy, but seeing Natsu like this was enough to make her overcome it. She could see how much he desired her in that moment, and nothing was going to stop her from seeing where this could go.

She grabbed the top of her stockings, but a warm hand stopped her. "No," Natsu growled, his gaze intense and fully focused on her. The panties in his tight grip went ignored as he added sharply, "leave them on."

"A-are you sure?" The blonde asked, wondering why he requested that. She also wondered why he looked so... _feral_.

"Yeah," he breathed in deeply, loving the scent of the girl in front of him, "they look good on you."

Lucy flushed from the hungry gaze Natsu gave her. His green eyes seemed darker, more devious. His lips pulled into a smile, revealing the sharp canines that had nipped at her flesh earlier.

"Lay down," the dragon slayer commanded, pleased when she didn't resist.

Lucy's body lowered, until her back was pressed against the wooden floor. She had no idea what he planned on doing, but the anticipation alone threatened to consume her. Her heart hammered in her ears, and her body felt extraordinarily tense. She was nervous to say the least.

Natsu gave her panties that were clutched in his fist one last look before tossing them aside. He loved the aroma that lingered on her underwear, but knew the source would be so much sweeter.

The pink haired man crawled between her legs, warm hands running along her inner thighs before spreading them, revealing her womanhood. Natsu had never seen Lucy's most intimate spot before. Sure he'd seen her naked a few times, but he never really got a good enough look to make out what her core looked like.

Natsu observed the part of Lucy that he probably shouldn't be seeing with a questioning look. _'Is it supposed to be that wet?'_

He looked at her, seeing her strain her neck to make eye contact. Her skin was red from her cheeks to her chest. He didn't know if she was nervous, embarrassed, or something else. All he knew was he liked that look on her. _Flustered_.

He wanted to ravish her, but he knew he had to ask first. "Is it okay if I...?" His green eyes were directed from her face to her womanhood, hoping she'd agree.

The blonde could only nod. Her words couldn't die in her throat because they never had a chance to form. She was in awe as his hands slid closer to the prize.

Natsu's heart was pounding as his fingers finally brushed over the folds of her womanhood. His eyes kept shifting from his fingers to her face, wondering if he was supposed to do something specific.

Now he wished he'd paid attention to when the older man at the guild talked about these sorts of things. All he remembered was there was a spot inside that made a woman feel good, and a spot on the outside that did it too. Unfortunately Natsu had no idea where these supposed spots were, and instead decided to wing it.

She was certainly wet, almost dripping. Her intoxicating aroma was filling his nose and he loved it. He leaned in just a bit to get a better smell.

His head spun from the intensity, and there was still a big gap between his face and her core. His cock throbbed painfully just from touching her juices, coating his fingers with her arousal.

The dragon slayer was now fixated on her slightest movements. He could tell by the strain in her jaw she was trying to be quite, but that's not what Natsu wanted. He liked when she got loud, when she moaned. It was starting to become a goal of his to see how much he could get her to lose control.

He noted her pupils dilating and her teeth caught her bottom lip when his thumb dipped into her opening. It wasn't deep, barely an inch, but her reaction was exciting. Lucy still remained quiet, but that would change.

His thumb sunk in further, now about half way in. Her insides were hot, but not as hot at his own fingers. He was surprised just how wet she really was, since his finger entered with little resistance.

Feeling devilish, he decided to up the ante.

Without warning, he retracted the thumb and shoved two thick fingers all the way into her core.

" _Ahhh_ ," Lucy's eyes tightened from the rough intrusion.

Natsu realized a little late that two fingers might have been the wrong way to start. Now he could feel just how tight she was, and even with her juices it was still hard to move his fingers.

"Sorry," he mumbled, recognizing his mistake. Knowing he was not very experienced, he should have taken things slower. He had hurt her, and he vowed to try not to do that again.

"It's fine," Lucy groaned at the sensation. Two fingers would have been manageable, if only he would have introduced them _after_ working her over with just one. She could feel them trying to twist inside her body, rubbing against her inner walls, and it caused her to shudder with pleasure. "V-very fine."

Natsu pulled his fingers out of her body, only to hear her moan in response. Deciding he very much wanted to hear that again, he - _slowly_ \- shoved his fingers back in. He succeeded, making her hips buck as she let out a whimper.

The dragon slayer continued to thrust into her, hoping this was making her feel good. That's all he truly wanted, her to be happy. He still wasn't sure how far they were going to go, but he was excited to find out.

However, once he found out, it'd be over soon, and that thought was enough to fill him with trepidation. He didn't want this to end. He was finally with Lucy, finally showing her just how much she meant to him. He never thought he'd get this far with her, and he was so glad he did.

He was so joyful that his heart ached in a way it hadn't in a long time. It was a good pain, and he welcomed it with open arms. He wouldn't take this moment for granted, knowing this would be the memory he looks back on to get him through tough days.

Lucy was his whole world. He promised to protect her, and to make her happy. Natsu knew she wasn't meant to be with him, but for now he could pretend... Right? He could pretend they were together, and that this was a normal thing for them.

 _A normal family._

Lucy's loud moan tore through his fantasies, and he realized his other hand had dug into her thigh, leaving bruising marks on her pale skin. "Oh shit!"

Natsu released her tender flesh, kissing the spots in an attempt to soothe them.

"No," Lucy panted, "it felt good."

"What?" He looked at her with a questioning gaze. _'How could she think pain felt good?'_ Natsu didn't bother asking, knowing he felt better when she scratched him earlier. It was a confusing situation, so he rolled with it and squeezed at the abused flesh once again. Her eyes shut tight and her hips lifted. She was quite a sight to see.

She chanted _yes_ over and over again, until her voice turned hoarse. The dragon slayer was pleased with her reactions, loving the way she writhed under him, completely at his mercy.

Then, Natsu felt a powerful urge. The only thing stopping him from fulfilling the urge was the fear of making Lucy disgusted.

Still, he really, _really_ wanted to do it, so he forced himself to ask, knowing he'd regret it far more if he didn't at least try. "Hey Luce?"

"Hmm?" She purred, enjoying the way he pumped his fingers into her dripping core.

"Is it alright if I..." He felt his face heating up, and he wondered if he should beat around the bush or just say it. "I know this may sound strange... but can I lick you, _down there_?"

Her brown eyes flew open, wondering if he just asked what she thought he just asked. Judging by the embarrassed face the dragon slayer was sporting and the way his eyes kept flitting from her face to her womanhood, she guessed he did.

"That's not strange at all," she answered, her own blush spreading.

"It's not?" He asked, incredulously. It sure felt like a weird thing to do, lick another person's most intimate area.

Lucy shook her head, calming his nerves when she said, "it's actually normal."

The corners of his lips tugged, a grin spreading over his face. _Normal_. The word soothed him. "So can I?"

Lucy didn't have to think long to come up with an answer. Of course she _wanted_ him to do that, but that was yet another line. How many had they crossed already? Friends certainly shouldn't be this intimate with each other, but it just felt so good to be desired by the dragon slayer.

She couldn't even blame all of this on her hurting anymore, because she had almost completely forgotten about Gray's betrayal. Only Natsu was on her mind.

She didn't know if she'd regret allowing him to cross this particular line, but she felt the reward would be sweet enough to make up for the consequences.

"Yes," she finally agreed, resting her head back on the wooden floor, waiting for him to make his next move.

With permission to satisfy his urge, Natsu lowered down to her core with his fingers still playing with her insides. Now that his face was inches away, he had to muster all his strength not to overheat. His hot breath fanned over her womanhood before he sniffed the air around him.

The effects were instantaneous.

Her arousal made his mouth water, and a loud voice in his head told him to devour her. He resisted though, knowing last time he rushed he ended up hurting her. This time he took his time.

Still keeping them in place, Natsu halted the movements of his fingers. He inched closer, until he could feel the warmth emitting from her body. Still not sure exactly how to proceed, he placed a kiss against her folds.

He pulled back, swiping his tongue over his - _now wet_ \- lips, tasting Lucy's essences and letting the unique flavor that only belonged to the celestial wizard take over him. _'God it's so good!'_

Natsu swore in that moment that nothing would ever be able to beat that taste. Nothing else could even come close! He had to sample her nectar again.

Flattening his tongue, he licked at the middle of her entrance, his taste buds completely coated in her wetness.

Instantly he lost control.

The fire dragon slayer started lapping up her juices, tongue digging in where his fingers penetrated to get a better taste. Speaking of his fingers, they started pumping into her again, this time at a much faster pace.

Lucy began to struggle against him. Her body shifting from trying to press closer to him, then reeling away to stop the overwhelming sensation. Her legs hooked over his shoulders, giving him better access to her womanhood.

Natsu was sending her to new heights, and he hadn't even discovered her best spot: the clit.

The blonde moaned as she tried to buck her hips so he'd lick her bundle of nerves, but the damn dragon kept moving with her. He was only focusing on her center, and she desperately wanted him to send her over the edge.

"Naatsuu!" She whimpered as his fingers heated up. They weren't hot enough to burn her, but it was enough to make her beg. "More!"

The dragon slayer increased his speed and heat. She had never felt such intensity, and she had to do something to counter the ache she felt between her legs. All Natsu would have to do was reach her clit, but he just wouldn't take the hint. Her hands ran over her generous breasts, thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples, causing her to shudder.

She felt passion and excitement from Natsu. It rolled off him similarly to how his heat rolled off in waves. The dragon slayer was working on pure instincts and the occasional guiding from the woman below him.

She was cautious though, because every time she guided him, it made her wary of pushing his limits. She was afraid he'd change his mind at any minute, and stop the wonderful pleasure he was giving her.

"Higher," she panted, her fingers pinching her nipples.

"Like this?" Natsu asked with a breathy sigh as he lifted his head slightly. He had only moved an inch up, denying Lucy from what she really wanted.

She had no idea if he was just teasing her, or this was honestly what he thought she wanted. Either way it was driving her to the brink of insanity.

"No," her fingers moved to weave into his soft, pink locks, tugging his head upwards until his tongue flickered the target she sought for.

" _Ahhh, damn_ ," she nodded, even though he was to preoccupied to notice, "yes, _yes_! Right there!"

The dragon slayer grinned against her womanhood. Even if this was just a one time thing, he wanted to do whatever it took to please her, and her chanting of approval was encouraging. Just like with her nipple earlier, his lips wrapped around her bundle of nerves to suck at it fervently. Her thighs pressed together, locking him in place.

He was so caught up in her wanton moans and the amazing taste of her juices that he didn't notice his magic flaring up again.

" _Ahh_ -Ouch! Natsu! To hot," Lucy groaned. His tongue had started to burn against her sensitive flesh. Her thighs released him from the death grip on his face.

"Sorry," he mumbled against her sweaty skin. He pulled up for a brief second to show her his sheepish grin. "Got carried away."

"It's okay," Lucy sighed when he licked at her wet folds again. "It h-hasn't happened for a bit, so- _nghh_ ," she bucked her hips when he returned his attentions to her engorged nub. "You're g-getting better!"

She let out a long, drawn out moan, loving the way he licked at her womanhood. He was driving her crazy.

"Na... Natsu!" Lucy's back lifted, her dripping core threatening to drown Natsu with how it covered the dragon slayer's mouth and nose.

Everything he was doing felt so amazing, so erotic!

She was so glad they hadn't stopped earlier, because then this fantastic feeling of pure ecstasy wouldn't be washing over her body right now.

Natsu mumbled against her wet flesh. He had probably said it more to himself, but she heard it clearly. "...Never thought I'd get this far..."

A horrifying thought popped in her head when she registered his words.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. _'How did we already get this far?'_ It took her two months before she finally let Gray touch her like this, and now she was doing it with Natsu in less than an hour.

 _'He probably thinks I'm easy... A slut...'_

The rational side of her knew that wasn't true. Natsu respected her, and he'd never think of her as something so low. But there was also an irrational side of her, and that thing was a nuisance.

 _'He doesn't like you, he's just using you... Just like you're just using him... Give up, give up...'_ Lucy didn't want to believe her inner thoughts. She tried hard to push those thoughts away, but nothing she did helped.

"M-maybe... we shouldn't do this," Lucy finally said, her voice sounding just as unsure as she felt. She didn't want to stop, but she wanted the voice in her head to shut the hell up. It was driving her insane and not in a good way like Natsu's tongue was.

The dragon slayer heard the uncertainty in her tone, and stopped his licking and finger-fucking to give her his attention. "Are you sure you want me to stop?" His deep voice came out as a purr, his lust-filled eyes enticing her as he looked up.

"Well no," Lucy admitted. She closed her eyes and remained silent, and the dragon slayer didn't know if she was thinking or waiting.

He decided to respond by sucking on her most sensitive button again, swirling around her bundle of nerves at an inhuman pace. His devilish tongue worked wonders while his fingers explored her opening. She was already so close to her climax!

Lucy moaned, "y-yes, Natsu yes!" Her legs began to tense up at the impending climax. She was just a few seconds away from finally getting her release...

Only, it never came.

Well, _she_ never came...

Lucy's tightly shut eyes opened and stared down at the man who rested between her legs. His head was pulled away from her needy core, and his two fingers stopped moving inside of her.

His lower face was covered in her arousal, a coy smile playing on his lips. He could see her newfound frustration from not getting off. The furrow in her brows was a dead giveaway.

"Just making sure," Natsu started, a devious gleam in his green eyes. "You want this?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed without hesitation, "please just- o _hhh_!"

Natsu went back to work, sucking, licking, and occasionally nipping. He added a finger so now three digits pumped into her deliciously tight core, which was currently overflowing with juices. He was merciless, and it only took another minute before she came undone.

She threw her head back, her legs tensed, she arched her back, and enjoyed the fact that he finally allowed her a release. Her juices were immediately lapped up by the hungry dragon slayer, who was more dragon than man in that moment, working on pure instincts to capture every bit of moisture she produced as if his life depended on it.

Lucy rode out her climax like a champ. She was panting, sweating, and so unladylike.

She _fucking_ loved it.

The orgasm taking over her body had been like none she ever felt before. She didn't know if it was because he prolonged it, or if because he was just naturally talented. Either way it was powerful. It felt like ten orgasms all rolled into one explosive release, and she'd be damned if she let her earlier troubled thoughts get her down.

She knew Natsu respected her, and that was all that mattered. There was no chance he'd think of her as a loose woman, even if that's what some might call her if they knew what she just did.

None of that mattered as she rested on the wooden floor staring at the ceiling, her breathing irregular and her heart pounding in her chest.

Natsu was always there for her, no matter what.

* * *

 **Well, here's the middle chapter! Three more to go!**

 **Thank you for the favs/follows!** **Also thank you to those who reviewed: MarSofTheGalaxies, Gh0st's buddy, Satisfied Reader, mikethepokemaster, FlameDragonHime, Ryuoujin, & fanficlove2014. I appreciate your words and support so much! Seriously you guys are awesome!**

 **Let me know what you thought!**

 **See you next time with... Chapter Five: Realization.**


	5. Realization

**Chapter Five: Realization**

Lucy was still recovering from the orgasm Natsu had just given to her using only his mouth and fingers. It had been so powerful, big enough to make her past ones fade into the back of her mind. Nothing else could even compare to the blissful feeling flowing through her body.

Small tremors were still coursing through her tired self. She was on cloud nine, and never wanted to hop off.

She had half a mind to tell Natsu to quit wasting his time on fighting monsters. He'd make _way_ more money if he became a prostitute.

Of course she'd never suggest something like that, because secretly the thought of Natsu with anyone else upset her... Although upset would be putting it mildly.

It actually _infuriated_ her.

The tugging on her heart was a big indicator that she definitely _wasn't_ over her feelings for the dragon slayer. In fact she had an urge to confess to him right then and there, but a confession during an orgasm seemed a bit odd.

Plus he probably wouldn't believe her, chalking it up to her just saying it from so much pleasure. Then he'd probably call her a weirdo and move on with his life. Plus there was still the issue with Gray and how Natsu would react.

Lucy had no time to feel sadness over the thoughts, because a sudden rush of painful pleasure coursed though her body like a heated jolt.

Lucy let out a dissatisfied whimper as her hands pushed at the head resting at the juncture of her thighs. "No more," Lucy begged, feeling Natsu's hot tongue brushing against her engorged clit.

He reluctantly stopped, taking the hint and hoisting his body towards her face. She let out a small squeak from his swift moves, but before she could comment she was muted by his hot lips on hers.

Their kiss lasted a few minutes. Lucy could clearly taste her own fluid on his tongue, and was secretly excited from the devious taste. He really knew how to turn a girl on.

Natsu's left hand teased her right breast, pulling and rubbing the swollen nipple. It was red and raised from all the attention the dragon slayer had given it earlier. Lucy moaned into his mouth, and he swallowed every bit of her sounds.

He ended the kiss way to soon for her liking, but he made up for it with more adventure. Natsu's left hot, open-mouthed kisses from her lips to her neck. The term _all fired up_ suddenly made so much sense to her, feeling her insides burn in a delicious way.

He started sucking and nipping at the crook of her neck, melting away her resolve. He was treating her like the most important person in his life, like she was something precious that he was cherishing. _Savoring_.

The thought confused Lucy. She felt it was ridiculous since he'd never shown this type of interest in her before.

"I want you, Lucy," he breathed against her flushed skin.

The blonde only moaned in response. _Wanted_. It was such a nice feeling. Something she had been missing since she saw her boyfriend cheating on her. _'Wait,'_ Lucy thought. Was Gray still her boyfriend? Then it dawned on her, they hadn't technically broken up, so right now _she_ was cheating as well.

Guilt struck her as she came to the realization that even though she was cheating, she didn't feel remorseful. Well, maybe she felt bad, but not because she might be hurting Gray. It was more like she was hurting Natsu. It wasn't fair to him. If he was showing her this much attention and devotion then she should do the same, and it was hard to do that when she was technically still with someone else. Someone Natsu didn't get along with most of the time.

Lucy felt something hard resting on her stomach, bringing her away from her troubled thoughts. Her eyes snapped open as she struggled to look down. It wasn't that she was being forced down, it was more like her head felt weighted.

Eventually when she was able to see to her stomach, she gasped. Sometime between her orgasm and now, Natsu had removed his bottoms. His heavy erection laid on her belly, before the dragon slayer took hold of himself, and moved to line up with her wet core.

"St-stop! Natsu stop!" She pushed against his chest, shaking her head frantically.

The dragon slayer reeled back. He had to blink harshly to calm his cloudy mind. "What?" He was just coming out of his lustful daze. He pulled further away, leaving a large gap between the two when he sat on his knees.

"I'm sorry Lucy. I thought..." His voice faltered. He thought she wanted it. Wanted _him_. He felt embarrassed, hoping he didn't just ruin their friendship by assuming she'd have sex with him. He felt like a jerk, like an asshole, _assuming_ she'd just do it with him. His face flushed with mortification.

"No, I'm sorry Natsu. I got carried away." She sat up too, covering her large breasts with an arm. She could see the hurt and disappointment in his green eyes.

Lucy was a virgin, and guessing from his lack of experience, Natsu was too. She wanted her first time to be special, and heartbroken while doing it with a man who was _not_ her boyfriend was nowhere near special.

Plus, it wasn't fair, to her or Natsu. They both deserved better for their first time. She had to break things off with Gray before she would give her virginity to the fire dragon slayer. _If_ he even wanted her after finding out about the ice-make wizard that is.

"I'm still sorry, Luce," Natsu said with a heavy heart. Looking over at his wall and seeing the long shadows cast on them, he guessed they had maybe two or so hours before the sun set.

In a hurry he grabbed his boxers -decorated in flame print- and pulled them on while staying seated. He didn't want to, but he said it anyways, "it's getting late. You should probably get going.

Lucy blinked in surprise. "It wouldn't be fair to just leave you hanging," she reasoned, even if she truly had an ulterior motive. She'd been wondering what it would feel like to pleasure Natsu, and she wasn't giving up that chance.

"What do you mea-" His voice faltered when he felt the pressure.

Lucy placed a hand on Natsu's erection. Only the thin fabric separated their flesh, and she wanted it off. Her hand slid along his package, causing him to moan.

That was when Lucy's hand began to wonder, brushing against the waistband of his underwear. A simple tug on the material was all she needed in order to convey her message.

The dragon slayer practically ripped his own clothing as he pulled the material off his body. When it was discarded he looked back at the blonde to see her wide brown eyes staring between his legs.

A heated blush covered his face as he debating covering himself up with his hand. The way she was staring made him nervous.

"Wow," Lucy finally said as she scooted closer to his thighs. Lucy admired the rigid manhood Natsu was sporting. It stood proud, sprouting up from a bush of pink curls. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

"What?" He asked, though he kind of didn't want to know. From the way she was looking at him he was sure something was wrong.

Then Lucy did something that surprised him. She licked her lips.

"You're bigger than I imagined," she confessed, feeling her own blush stain her cheeks. She felt the bulge in his pants earlier, but it was clearly deceptive. She didn't know Natsu was so _gifted_.

She gave him no time to respond before her hand wrapped around his thick member. A hiss escaped the dragon slayer when she started stroking his manhood. It was throbbing in her hand, and so very hot. This was where most of his body heat was focused, and she'd have to be careful to not get burned.

Already precum was seeping from the tip, and she rubbed it against the palm of her hand before using it as a lubricant for the handjob. Natsu moaned, fighting back the urge to thrust into her hand. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do right now, so he just sat there, letting the pleasure wash over him as he waited for a command.

Lucy's hand worked at a comfortable pace. She didn't know Natsu's stamina, so she didn't want to make this end to soon. She wanted to have a little fun with him first. He had been so generous to her, she thought it was only fair to repay the debt.

Really it was just an excuse. Lucy had wanted to do this for _so_ long, but she gave up on the idea around the time she gave up on Natsu ever returning her feelings. Boy was she wrong about casting doubt on the dragon slayer.

As Lucy picked up the pace, Natsu started getting louder. " _Oh damn,_ " was followed by another hiss, which led into a string of, " _fuck, fuck, fuck._ "

The blonde's eyes narrowed as she wondered just how inexperienced he truly was. She knew he'd never kissed anyone before today, so the chances of someone touching him down there was highly unlikely. Still, she found herself asking, "has anyone ever done this to you before?"

The dragon slayer's eyes were shut tight. He shook his head as he spoke, "n-no."

He was sweating, and she could see the strain in his jaw. He was trying to hold himself back, and they'd only just begun. "Don't you do this to yourself?" She didn't want to be rude by asking, but she found it hard to believe he'd pop so soon. He was already giving the tell-tale signs of an early release.

"I have before," he panted, finally opening his eyes, "but it doesn't feel nearly as good as when you do it."

The duo's faces were bright red when they finally made eye contact. She didn't stop her ministrations on his cock, instead just slowed the pace to give him some relief. Lucy leaned in to start another passionate kiss.

Natsu's tongue was quick to thrust into her mouth, and she was surprised once again by the taste. Her arousal was still on his tongue, and she relished in the thought that this is what he'd been tasting for the past several minutes.

They pulled away for air, letting the sound of her wet hand pump up and down on his shaft. "So incredible," the compliment fell from his mouth.

A gentle push to his chest was all he needed to know she wanted him to lay down. It might have been a bad idea, because it temporarily disconnected Natsu from his embarrassment. The strangest things started flying out of his mouth. Everything from cuss words to praising a higher power.

The thing that really shocked Lucy was what he said when she tightened the grip over his cock just a little bit.

" _Oh_ yes!" The back of Natsu's head was firmly pressed against the wooden floor. Lucy's touch effectively grounded him and ensured he was going no where. "I'm so glad, _damn_ , glad you finally g-gave me a, _oh fuck,_ a chance," then he groaned in pleasure.

Lucy's eyes widened as his words sunk in. _Finally gave him a chance?_ The sentence was confusing to say the least. Was he... _'Did he want this before today?'_ Was it even possible that Natsu Dragneel actually liked her before this?

Lucy didn't bother asking him, instead she just went faster, and a little harder. Natsu was panting as he chanted, "so amazing," over and over again. Everything she was doing felt, well, _so amazing_. He never wanted it to end, but he knew it would. He couldn't hold out forever.

Pride swelled up in Lucy for reducing the mighty dragon slayer to a moaning mess. She wanted to treat him for his pleasant compliments, so that's exactly what she did.

While still sitting between his knees, the blonde slowly leaned in, keeping his eye contact as she parted her lips. She held back a smirk as she watched Natsu gasp. Her hand moved to the base of his cock, lining it up with her mouth.

She got right down to it, taking his erection deep into her wet mouth. She could smell the natural musk coming from his member, and the velvety skin moving along her tongue. The taste of precum coated him, before her saliva replaced it.

Natsu was definitely enjoying this. She could tell because he got more vocal with the increased pleasure she created.

"Oh _wow_ , that feels, _ngh_ , pretty _oh fuck_." The dragon slayer threw his head back as Lucy's mouth swallowed his cock. She wanted to smirk, but with her current situation that was impossible. "Feels so good..."

Lucy didn't really have a chance to worry about it, because she was busy giving Natsu the best pleasure he'd ever felt before. Her tongue swirled around his head a few times before plunging his thick member deep into her mouth again and again. "More than good, _oh fuck_ , incredible."

The celestial wizard hated knowing that she was only this good at blowjobs because of Gray. After her first - _horribly awkward_ \- blowjob, Gray had given her pointers. He told her how she should breathe, how she should move her tongue and mouth, and how he loved it when she made eye contact a few times during.

Of course the knowledge wasn't _completely_ transferable. While Gray was slightly longer, Natsu was thicker. It was impossible to fit him into her throat like she did with Gray. She still tried though, but his cock's girth made it impossible for her to completely close her mouth around him, let alone deep throat him.

Saliva leaked from the corners of her lips as she took in his member. Her spit traveled down her chin and dripped, landing on his balls before it collected on the wooden floor. Natsu was sensitive, and felt _everything_. She was driving him wild, and he loved every bit of it. Especially the way her mouth tensed every time she swallowed around his cock.

The dragon slayer made gentle thrusts into her mouth. He was scared he might hurt her if he went fast and hard like his instincts were screaming at him to do.

The more she sucked his cock, the wider his legs spread. It was a strange reaction, but it did allow her easier access to his manhood. Her hand would sometimes caress his sac, but not a lot since it seemed to make him closer to release, and she wasn't ready for that.

The celestial mage stared up to Natsu's face. It was covered in sweat, with pink strands of hair sticking to his skin. His dark green eyes were locked with hers, watching as she made his cock disappear into her hot mouth. He was panting, moaning, and _her_ name was slipping from his parted lips.

" _Oh_ , god Lucy!" He threw his head back again, unable to look at her without blowing his load to fast. "That feels, _ahh_ that feels so good. I, I," Natsu was breathing hard. Words were flying out of his mouth without much control. His throat was dry, but he didn't care. In that moment he decided to just say it. Lucy had to know how amazing she was making him feel.

"I, I love," Natsu swallowed, _'man her mouth feels so good'_. The words didn't seem like enough now, but still he had to tell her. She _had_ to know how he felt. "I love you, Luce! _Fuck,_ I love you so much!"

Lucy's eyes were wide. She hadn't expected him to say _that_ at all.

Still, she continued sucking his member. Her heart was fluttering and her cheeks felt like they caught on fire. Her mouth was trying to smile, so she fought the urge. It made the blowjob harder since she couldn't wrap her mouth around him like he liked. He didn't seem to mind though as he kept chanting.

He _loved_ her. Natsu, her dense best friend who'd never even hinted at liking her was suddenly confessing his love for her, while she was sucking him off?

It felt like a dream. A bizarre dream granted, but still a dream.

"I'm gonna, _oh damn_ ," the dragon slayer groaned in sweet agony. His body tensed as he shouted, "p-pull up Lucy! Please pull uuuup!"

She ignored his request, keeping her mouth firmly around his cock. His member pulsed, twitching frantically as he tried to hold it in. He failed in the end, eventually letting loose, and released into her hot mouth.

"Nnnggh," his hand shifted through her blonde hair, and he surprised her by pushing her mouth further on his cock despite his earlier protests. " _Ooohhhh_ , Lucy!"

She felt the hot, sticky substance spurt from his tip, painting her throat white as his body went through the best orgasm he'd ever felt. He practically roared through the pleasure, puffs of smoke leaving his open mouth, "yes, _ooohhh_ yes yes _yes_!"

It was music to her ears. She had pleased Natsu in a way she never thought possible. Regardless of his forcefulness at the end, and the urge she had to gag, this was her favorite blowjob she'd ever given.

Gray had never been this _appreciative_ of oral before, and she doubted the man could cherish her like Natsu just did.

It was the final realization of the day. She wanted this. Not necessarily the bitter cum coating her throat, or the tight hold on her hair, - _though she'd be lying if she said it wasn't a turn on_.

No, she wanted Natsu, and clearly he wanted her too. His confession was crystal clear. He loved her. And she loved him too.

She finally pulled up, swallowing all the cum in her mouth. It wasn't like she had a choice in the matter, since most of it went directly into her throat. She tried to clear her sticky throat, and wished she hadn't gulped down all the water Natsu offered earlier as she stared at the empty glass by the couch.

Natsu was laying on his wooden floor, trying desperately to regulate his breathing. Lucy laid next to him, curling on her side to face away from him to give him a moment to himself.

She was trying to process everything that happened, but her brain wasn't quite functioning. Her body was tired, and sleep kept tugging on her.

Lucy was surprised when a warm arm snaked around her stomach, pulling her closer until her back was pressed tightly against the firm chest of the dragon slayer. His legs molded to her own, and she realized they were spooning. His nose buried into her hair, breathing in her scent fully.

"I'm sorry Luce," he finally said, his voice husky from panting earlier. He never thought being intimate could be so exhausting, so _draining_.

* * *

 **There you have it, chapter five. I know I'm mean for cutting it off right there, but once again the chapter was getting to long. I will post the next part later today.**

 **Thank you all for the Favs/Follows. For those who reviewed, thank you: FlameDragonHime, Crimsonlink310, Gh0st's buddy, mikethepokemaster, Ryuoujin, & ChristieAmanda. **

**Your words inspire me to keep writing! :)**

 **I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story since it's coming to an end soon! Leave a review (even if it's just a few words), I accept constructive criticism! (always looking for ways to improve!)**

 **Also I'm going to try to participate in NALU week this year, starting July 1st. I already have most of the day one written, and there's seven days total. (Hoping I can finish on time)**

 **Anyways, have a great day and I'll see you later. Up next Chapter Six: Pain.**


	6. Pain

**Chapter Six: Pain**

"I'm sorry Luce," Natsu finally said, his voice husky from panting earlier. He never thought being intimate could be so exhausting, so _draining_. It was worth it though, because he'd never felt more close to the woman he loved.

"Hmmm?" Lucy furrowed her brow, but didn't bother opening her eyes. She was so tired, but she fought to stay away. Her own voice a bit rough as well, "why would you be sorry?"

"For saying... _that_ ," he hoped she figured out what he meant, because he felt so embarrassed that he shouted it while her lips were around his cock. He knew he crossed a line, but the dragon slayer remained optimistic. He hoped maybe, deep down she felt the same way.

"That?" Lucy asks, then it dawns on her. "Oh, _that_." The part where he says he loves her. "Don't worry about it. I think it's sweet."

She was worried that Natsu was about to say he didn't mean it, that he just said it in the heat of the moment. Sometimes that happens... Right? It was his first blowjob after all, he could have said anything.

" _Sweet_ huh?" He couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice. The simple word caused a stabbing pain in his racing heart. _'Of course she'd say that. She's just being nice... I was stupid for thinking she'd feel the same way.'_

Natsu fought the pain that threatened to shatter his heart. He'd only loved one woman in his entire life, and that was her. He couldn't imagine even _trying_ to love someone else, and refused to entertain the thought that maybe there was someone else out there for him.

If he couldn't be with Lucy, then he didn't want anybody. He'd rather spend his life alone than to _replace_ his precious Luce. No one even came close to comparing to her. No one...

His tone of his voice was enough to reassure Lucy that he meant what he said. He really did love her.

She struggled to twist around since her body felt like it was pumped full of lead. Natsu's arm lifted slightly, allowing her to turn easier.

When she was finally facing him, her brown eyes gazed into his green ones. With their noses brushing against each other, she said with a small smile gracing her lips, "I want to say it back to you, but not like this."

Natsu perked up, his heart feeling like it may explode, "you do?"

"I do," she confirmed, smiling wider when she saw a gleam in his eyes. "I just need to talk to someone first." She kept it vague, not wanting to reveal her secret just yet. Maybe later after they had some time to calm down she could bring it up. She at least wanted to wait until she was dressed before dropping a bomb like that on him.

Unfortunately for her, Natsu wasn't an idiot.

The dragon slayer's eye dulled as he muttered in disgust, "you have to talk to _Gray_ first?" It was worded like a question, but he wasn't really asking.

"How do you...?" Lucy stared with wide eyes, "you know about Gray and me?"

Natsu's heart became heavy, it stung to know he was right. He wished so desperately that maybe, _maybe_ he was wrong, but her reaction was all the proof he need.

He sighed before saying, "I've suspected it for a while now..."

"W-who told you?" Lucy asked, knowing only Levy knew outside of their relationship, and the bookworm was not much of a gossip. Gray sure as hell wouldn't have told him, so she was shocked that he knew.

The pink haired man looked down at the floor, avoiding her gaze. His green eyes flashed with sadness and heartache. "I can," he swallowed as if what he was about to say hurt him deeply. "I can smell him on you most of the time lately, and I can smell you on him."

Sometimes having the nose of a dragon slayer was a bad thing. It allowed the combined smell of Lucy and Gray to taunt him for months.

Natsu laughed, but it lacked a cheerful tone. It was sad, pitiful, and made his heart ache. "At first I thought maybe you guys were just hugging a lot... but then it got stronger."

He felt foolish for talking about this, but he felt she had a right to know. It wasn't like there was a reason to hide it anymore, seeing as she now knew that he loved her.

The man took a deep breath before continuing, "I only started suspecting something was going on between you two when I went to your apartment one day, but you weren't home. I was going to..." Natsu didn't want to admit he was going to confess his feelings for her then.

"It doesn't matter. I just got there and you weren't home. I was going to wait for you on your bed, but Gray's scent was all over it."

Lucy saw the way he cringed, and her heart ached. "I'm sorry," she realized that must be the reason Natsu's been acting so strange lately. His odd behavior only showed after she started dating Gray.

"It' fine," Natsu lied. He'd been going through hell ever since he started suspecting they were together, and now knowing he was right all along, it was just painful. He never thought to break them up though, because it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserved happiness, even if that meant denying him the same thing. "Can I ask why?"

"Why what?" Lucy asked, watching him pull his arm away from her. She suddenly felt very cold and lonely.

"Why'd you go out with that guy?" Natsu had to know. He couldn't fathom why a girl like Lucy would go for a guy like Gray. Yeah he was a good person and admittedly he was attractive, but the connection they had was not nearly as strong as the bond the dragon slayer shared with her. So he had to know what it was about that ice-make wizard that made her choose him.

The blonde wanted to squirm under his intense gaze, but she kept herself still. "I was looking to date, and he seemed like a safe choice. I liked him, and he liked me too."

 _'So she really did have feelings for him...'_ Natsu didn't think his heart could handle more pain, but here he was, adding to it. "Did you ever consider... me?"

Honestly he needed this. If Lucy was going to reject him, it'd be better for her to do it now and get it over with. He didn't want to live another minute of doubt. It was already hard enough pretending like everything was fine after he started noticing Gray's scent taint Lucy's sweet smell.

It infuriated him, knowing for a fact that bastard had touched her, and worse that Lucy _let_ him do it, probably even enjoyed it.

Earlier today in the guild, Natsu was going to confront Lucy about his suspicions. He was going to finally just tell her how he felt to get it off his chest. He saw how Lucy was pulling away from him ever since Gray's scent coated her own, and he feared he'd lose the blonde forever.

It wasn't even that Natsu wanted to be with her, because he already accepted that Lucy wasn't going to be his. Natsu just wanted his friend back. Lucy hadn't been herself lately, and Natsu missed her. He was going to tell her that it was okay if she found a different guy to be happy with, even if it hurt him, he just didn't want her to leave him completely. Natsu missed his friend, his best friend, his _Luce_.

Even if she would never be _his_ Luce.

"I did," Lucy finally admitted. She had considered him, for a long time.

The room was quiet. Even the birds outside seemed to stop chirping. Green eyes glared at brown orbs, and they blazed with a fire behind them that burned a lot like rage.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Natsu tried to hide the snarl in his voice, but it slipped out. It didn't help that his eyes had narrowed, and he bared his teeth at her.

Any other day Lucy might be scared of his expression, but not today... Not after what they just did.

"I could ask you the same question!" Lucy found herself shouting as she sat up, her arms covering her exposed breasts.

The dragon slayer blinked, shocked by her rebuttal. He sat up himself, not bothering to cover his body. "What do you mean by that?" His tone was still angry, but his expression had softened just a bit.

"Love doesn't just happen over night," Lucy started, her own eyes narrowing. "If you loved me you should have said something. Instead you kept your mouth shut! What was I supposed to do? Ask out a guy that showed zero interest in me?"

Natsu's fingers twitched, boiling blood coursing through his veins. "So you ask out _that guy_! I'm a hundred times better than that pervy popsicle! And I _did_ show interest in you!"

"How?" Lucy snapped, her own anger growing. "How on Earthland did you _ever_ show interest in me!"

Natsu growled, "you think it was easy digging up that rainbow tree?" He could feel the vein on his forehead protruding from his strained face. "Or what about all the times I rescued you! No matter what you're always on my mind, and when you get kidnapped or injured it fucking hurts."

Natsu was yelling at this point, "sure I fight hard to save a friend when they're in danger, but I fight so much harder when it's for you!"

The dragon slayer stood up, grabbing his white shorts in a hurry before slipping them on, not even bothering with his underwear. His back was turned to her, his pink hair covering his eyes that pricked.

He fought hard to keep his tears from falling. _'Not now, don't cry now...'_ He didn't want her to see him like this, so vulnerable. He couldn't help but feel upset and belittled. He tried so hard to show her how much he loved her through their friendship, but in the end it wasn't good enough for her. She chose Gray, and Natsu would never forget that.

His voice lowered as he spoke again, but he couldn't hide the heartache he felt, "the reason I'm always trying to invade your space, break into your house, and sleep in your bed is because I just want to be near you, Lucy. Your scent calms me down, and keeps me grounded."

Natsu clenched his fists in tight balls, trying to counter the pain in his chest, "you make me want to try harder, just so you can be proud of me. I care about you a lot, and I thought you saw that."

Lucy's eyes were lined with tears and her cheeks were wet with the ones that had already spilt. They started when he began yelling, but now they fell for a different reason. She felt regret. "I'm sorry Natsu. I really didn't think you liked me like that. I thought you'd just make fun of me, and wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."

He turned around, recognizing her voice as the one she used when she was crying. _'Damn it,'_ Natsu grit his teeth until they began to squeak. "Why would you think I'd make fun of you?"

"Because," she sobbed. Her voice was shaky and her body felt numb, she hadn't felt this much pain in a while. It didn't even compare to how she felt when she walked in on Gray and Juvia. "You're always teasing me, a-and, I just..."

Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes, but it was no use. More beads of liquid replaced the ones she got rid of, so she gave up on her pointless task. "I just didn't want to be hurt by you." She couldn't help but feel the irony in her logic, since now all she felt was pain.

The pink haired man saw her pull her knees close to her body, her face hiding from his view. He knew how she felt right now. Small, weak, and pathetic. It's how he felt every time he wasn't able to just tell her how he felt.

He knew it would have been different if he would have just told her how he felt when he started loving Lucy. He had loved her for so long, and had plenty of opportunities to just confess to her, but fear of rejection was always the thing that stopped him. It wasn't fair to put all the blame on her when he deserved some too.

He sat down in front of her, legs crossed and hands on his thighs. She kept crying, refusing to acknowledge his presence. He grabbed a red blanket that was resting a few feet from him, then draped it over Lucy's shaky body.

She responded by trying to wiggle away from him, but his hands were firm when placed on her shoulders. "Luce, look at me."

She shook her head, but he insisted, "please."

Lucy opened her eyes, but her face was buried in her knees. Slowly she raised her head, her puffy red eyes meeting his troubled gaze.

"I'm sorry Lucy," Natsu said, no trace of anger left on his face.

She sniffled, then forced her words out of her closed up throat, "No, I'm sorry."

"How about we both be sorry?" The dragon slayer asked, hoping she'd agree. He was more than pleased when she gave him a slow nod. "Can I hug you?"

Lucy nodded again, and then was wrapped in Natsu's warm embrace. Her body was starting to get hot from the blanket and Natsu's body heat, but she ignored it. The main feeling she felt was the pain in her heart.

As much as she was happy they weren't fighting anymore, she was still hurt that they had to go through all this just to tell each other how they felt. However, it wasn't over yet. There was still more she had to tell him.

"Natsu, we need to talk," the blonde really didn't want to admit it, but he had a right to know.

The dragon slayer didn't move, keeping his arms wrapped around her. He mumbled into the red blanket, "about what?"

"Us," she started, "and about my relationship with Gray."

She could feel his body tense up at the mention of the ice-make wizard. He deserved the truth, so she forced herself to say, "I've done things with him."

Natsu gulped, "like what?" Honestly the dragon slayer didn't _want_ to know, but he listened anyways. All he could hope was that his anger wouldn't get the best of him... again.

Lucy's hand pinched the skin of her arm, trying to relieve the pain in her heart. Unfortunately, it didn't work in the slightest. "The easiest way to say it would be, I've done everything with him that I did with you just now, except more times."

Green eyes widened, "so you haven't... had sex with him?"

She shook her head, "no. I was going to do that tonight, but it didn't happen."

He was thrilled that Lucy was still a virgin, but he was shocked to find out she was willing to give herself completely to that bastard. If this had all been delayed by one day, well he couldn't even imagine it.

Still, even if she had sex with Gray, Natsu still would have loved her. His emotions for her were not easily broken, and truthfully he would try to look past it. It would hurt, but Lucy was worth it.

Thinking about Gray now made Natsu curious. She was supposed to be with him tonight, but she was with the dragon slayer. Although he was pleased that she was with him, he was worried about her.

His voice dropped a bit as he spoke, "oh yeah, I was gonna ask what actually happened between you two? Why were you crying earlier, or in the forest for that matter?"

Lucy frowned before admitting, "I walked in on him and Juvia." The pain was still fresh, and the memories were not easily dismissed. She didn't know how long it would take to get over his betrayal, or if she ever would. She would still be his friend, but she doubted things could go back to normal between them ever again.

"Oh..." It was all Natsu could say as his arms tightened around her.

"Yeah, it was bad," Lucy fought the urge to cry again, "she was giving him head."

The fire dragon slayer's brow lifted as he pulled away from her enough to see her face. "What does that mean?"

She scoffed, "you can't honestly be _that_ naive." When he didn't change his questioning look, she sighed. "What I just did to you. It's also known as a blowjob."

"Huh. Weird," Natsu said, confusing her.

"What's weird?"

He shrugged, "well, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think you did it wrong?"

Lucy's mouth fell open in shock. "What do you mean?" She asked, offended and a little hurt.

"There was no blowing," Natsu pointed out, "clearly you weren't doing the job very well."

"I'm going to hurt you," she warned with no threat in her voice. All it held was amusement at his joke. This was what she loved about Natsu, he could always make her happy when she was feeling down.

He pulled her back into a hug, thankful that she was smiling again. His hand slipped inside the blanket to trace soothing circles on her back. "I'm sorry he did that to you," Natsu couldn't imagine how heartbreaking a sight like that would be. He knew she cared about Gray, and even though it pained the dragon slayer, it hurt worse knowing she felt a greater pain.

Lucy shook her head, dismissing the idea. "It's not like I did any better."

Natsu knew she was referring to what they just did together. "You were hurt," the pink haired man tried to reason.

"That's just an excuse. I should have broken up with him _before_ I even kissed you. I'm just as guilty," despite her words, she leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips.

A wide grin surfaced again. "Then I'm guilty too," he decided.

"I guess you are." Lucy could feel the sense of connection between them. He was just trying to make her feel better, and she couldn't help but appreciate him that much more for it. "We can be guilty together."

"It's always more fun when we're together," Natsu added.

"Hey, that's my line!" Lucy said with a huff.

"Whatcha gonna do about it Luce?" He teased her with his tongue sticking out.

"Fine then, _I'm all fired up_ now!" The blonde smirked.

The dragon slayer pushed Lucy to the ground, his body hovering over her with a hungry look in his eyes. It was a look that gave her chills despite the heat that radiated off his toned body.

"Yes," Natsu said, placing a tender kiss to her lips again. He ignored the pout on her face from not getting under his skin. He didn't mind sharing his line with her, especially if it were true. "Yes, you are."

He didn't know if what they had between them was going to extend past today, but right then, he didn't worry about it. He had no guarantees that she'd leave Gray to be with him, so he just enjoyed the moment together while they lasted.

Who knows, maybe he could end up being with Lucy. He really hoped so, because he couldn't think of anything better than loving your best friend. If they did get together, he knew their relationship would be difficult at first.

One conversation wasn't going to fix the faulty trust between them, but he was willing to work on it if she was.

 _'What's to stop her from leaving me?'_ Natsu thought the worst as his lips melted with her own. The taste of her lips was incredible, and he wanted to kiss them forever.

He may not get forever with her, but he would be happy to at least kiss her until the sun went down.

* * *

 **As promised, here's chapter six. They finally had their talk that was long overdue.**

 **Thank you for the added favs/follows. And thank you to those who reviewed: fanficlove2014(x2), shadow61953, Crimsonlink310, ChristieAmanda, Guest, Ryuoujin, Satisfied Reader, AnimeArmorFreak.**

 **This story is one follow away from reaching 100! And it has more reviews than my first story Hakobe Ice! That's so exciting, you guys are awesome! :D**

 **Next chapter is called Brawl, and I'm pretty sure you can guess what will happen there. :)**

 **Let me know what you thought, and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Brawl

**Chapter Seven: Brawl**

The celestial wizard known as Lucy Heartfilia was currently walking to the Fairy Tail guild. She hadn't been there since yesterday morning, and she was a little nervous to show her face. Not only was there a chance of running into Gray, but there was also a chance that her guild mates could see the permanent blush coating her cheeks.

Her face heated up mainly due to her nonstop thoughts of a certain dragon slayer, but it was also caused by her potential embarrassment. She knew she had to confront Gray, even if she really, _really_ didn't want to see his face anytime soon.

However, she wanted to be able to move on with her life, and start a relationship with Natsu, and she couldn't do that if she was still the girlfriend of that _cheating asshole_.

"Whoa, calm down Lucy," the blonde said to herself, trying to see past her anger and jealousy. She was trying to get over what happened between her and the ice-make wizard, but she had no such luck. She needed closure, and she wasn't going to get that without talking to him.

She still had a bit of a walk to the guild, so she used that time to think.

Yesterday had been the longest, and strangest day of her life. She had caught her boyfriend cheating, ran away from him, only to end up in the arms of her best friend, Natsu. What they did behind closed doors was not something she wanted to discuss with anyone anytime soon.

After they finally had a talk about their feelings, she ended up spending the night at his house. Nothing sexual happened, even when they laid half-naked on his couch. It was a tight fit, but they made it work. She had never slept more comfortably, and she loved that Natsu held her all night long.

Unfortunately morning had to come, and with that, she had to face reality.

She remembered the first thing she smelled when waking up was sweat. Her body, along with the dragon slayer's, smelt like sweat and sex. It was ironic since they didn't actually have full-blown sex.

Natsu woke up shortly after her, and asked if she wanted to get some breakfast with him at the guild. She actually laughed, looked down at her body and shook her head. There was no way in hell she was going out in public looking like she did.

Her blonde hair had way to many tangles to simply brush out with her fingers, her shirt and panties were either ripped or burned, and her body smelled like she just ran a marathon. She was in no position to be making an appearance at the guild with all their friends present.

She held up her ruined shirt that Natsu burnt from his _eagerness_ , wondering how on Earthland she was supposed to make it to her apartment without proper cover. That's when a shirt was held to her face.

Natsu was standing there, deep red blush on his cheeks and a wrinkled, black shirt in his hands. "Take it," he muttered, embarrassed that it was the cleanest laundry he had.

Lucy found herself extremely comfortable wearing the baggy shirt. It clearly hadn't been washed since the last time he wore it, and instead of smelling like sweat or food like she expected, it just smelled like Natsu.

She was tempted to keep it and never give it back.

The blonde gave him a kiss goodbye, which stunned Natsu. He probably thought last night was a one time thing, but Lucy didn't want to go back to seeing the dragon slayer as just her friend. He was so much more, and she planned on keeping him that way.

Natsu had insisted on walking her home, but she told him he should just get cleaned up and meet her at the guild. She had to take care of a few things before she saw him again. He was reluctant, but he eventually agreed - _after stealing a few more kisses from her that is_.

Without another word, she left his house and walked to her apartment, wearing her short pink skirt and his baggy black shirt.

Of course she received strange looks on the street, and she wondered if they thought she was doing the walk of shame. The female didn't mind, since she was in such a good mood.

Natsu had confessed to her, and she _almost_ did too. She wanted to say, "I love you," back to him, but she needed to end things with Gray first. The pink haired man deserved better than that, and she was determined to show him just how much he meant to her.

She was surprised to see a note by her door, and chose to wait until after she washed up to read it. Lucy wasted no time hopping in the shower and washing last night's activities off her sore body.

After her shower, she got dressed in the strangest outfit she'd ever worn in public. Black boots, a white skirt, and Natsu's black shirt. Despite it being wrinkled and slightly dirty, she felt more comfortable in it. It was like he was with her even when she was alone.

When she was finally done dressing, she went back to her kitchen table to read the note. She immediately recognized the handwriting, and let out a sigh before reading.

 **Lucy, I'm really sorry for what you saw. Please come find me when you get this, I'm really worried about you and we need to talk. -Gray**

The blonde let out a slight laugh, before throwing the note in the trash. She didn't even read it twice, she just discarded it because it really didn't matter what he said, he broke her trust. There was nothing he could say to make up for his betrayal, and she was determined to give him a piece of her mind - _and maybe a kick from her boot_.

Before she knew it, she was already standing outside of the guild's doors, surprised she had arrived so soon. Getting lost in her thoughts easily made her journey seem shorter. With a deep, reassuring breath, she opened the heavy doors.

Her eyes scanned the area. Loud chatter and the smell of booze filled her senses before she was able to make out her target: Gray.

He was sitting at a table, talking with Erza and Lisanna. Juvia was no where in sight, which was a relief for the blonde. She didn't know how she'd handle seeing the two of them together so soon. She'd probably flip out and run again.

On her way to the table, she noticed a certain fire dragon slayer sitting at the bar. Happy was next to him, eating a big fish while Natsu was drinking his fire whiskey, compliments of Mira. His head turned to look at Lucy when he caught her scent.

A knowing look was shared between the two, and she saw the way his smile widened, no doubt from the fact she was _still_ wearing his shirt, even after her shower. What? She liked it.

Lucy was glad to see Natsu hadn't confronted Gray, though she could see the way his eyes narrowed when he glanced over to the ice-make wizard. She asked him earlier if he would behave himself until she had a chance to talk to him first, and Natsu reluctantly agreed.

The pink haired man gave her a subtle nod before returning his attention to the blue exceed, who was alternating between talking about food and Carla. That cat was a hopeless romantic, but everyone was still rooting for him.

Another deep breath was needed before approaching the table that held the ice-make wizard and her other friends.

"Hey Lucy," Lisanna was the first to notice the blonde. The white haired woman gave her a bright smile that seemed to ease the tension coursing through Lucy's body.

"Hello," the celestial wizard said, surprised by the strength behind her own voice. She was sure she'd crumble once she was in Gray's vicinity, but it seemed she was standing strong.

It didn't take long before the ice-make wizard's head shot up to look at the standing girl. "Lucy!" He spoke a little louder than necessary, but in his defense he was caught off-guard.

He didn't think he'd see her this morning, especially not after he looked all over Magnolia for her last night after getting caught with Juvia. For awhile he was thinking she just left town to be alone, he was relieved to see her standing in front of him.

"Hello Gray, can we talk?" Lucy asked, looking over towards Erza and Lisanna who nodded. They started to get up before Lucy waved her hands, "I meant outside. No need for you two to move."

"Y-yeah," the raven haired man stood up and handed Lucy the purse she'd left at his apartment. She muttered a small 'thanks', before he followed her closely as they exited the guild.

At the bar, Natsu was biting his inner cheek. He wanted to go out there to be with Lucy, but he knew she had to do this on her own. That thought didn't make it easy to sit still, and his foot tapping on the stool did little to settle his nerves.

He wondered if she was actually going to go through with it. She was a beautiful and sweet person, and he worried that Gray might get her to forgive him. Natsu wasn't sure if he'd be able to go back to _just friends_ with Lucy again after everything that happened yesterday.

Despite his troubled mind, the dragon slayer tried to be positive. Lucy said she wanted to say 'I love you' back to him, but first she needed to talk to Gray. Natsu hoped that meant he'd hear those words come out of her mouth soon, because just the anticipation for it was enough to make his heart soar.

"Something wrong?" Mira said, walking by as she cleaned a mug.

He shook his head, returning his focus to his drink, "everything's fine..." He sure hoped he was right though as he took sip.

* * *

"Lucy, I'm so sorry!" Gray said once they were alone outside. They'd moved to the side of the guild so no one coming or going would eavesdrop on their conversation.

Lucy didn't really know what to say. She had thought of different scenarios in her head last night and this morning, but suddenly she was drawing a blank. Instead of replying, she just shifted her weight on her right foot.

"Please Lucy, say something," the raven haired man pleaded.

"Just tell me why you did it," the blonde finally demanded. She was surprised by her own voice, but didn't care that she sounded harsh. After what he put her through he could handle a little rudeness.

The ice-make wizard sighed, dragging a hand over his face before speaking. "I knew you were going to be gone for a while, so I thought it was the perfect time to set everything up."

Lucy made no effort to talk, and instead waited for him to continue. "I had everything perfect at my apartment, the only problem was I didn't know how I was going to ask you."

She bit her lip, forcing herself not to comment. "My mistake was I asked Juvia for advice. I..." He shook his head as if remembering something. "I asked her to meet me at my apartment to talk. When she got there I told her about us."

Finally Lucy spoke, "what did she say?"

"She was hurt. I guess she really did like me. I thought it was a silly infatuation, but turned out her feelings were real," Gray said, his voice deepening. "I told her I wanted advice on how to ask you..." He gulped, "how to ask you to move in with me."

The blonde let out a small gasp. That was _not_ what she was expecting. She remembered a distinct conversation they had within the first month of dating, where Gray said he'd never lived with a woman before, and that he thought it was a huge step in the relationship. Lucy didn't think he'd ask her to move in with him since they hadn't even been together that long.

"I told her how nervous I was, and she told me there was no reason to be. She kept complimenting me and shit, saying I was a great catch an any woman would be lucky to have me."

Lucy fought hard not to scoff at the statement. Gray didn't seem to notice as he kept on with the story, "she ended up kissing me."

That's when he stopped talking, and finally looked into her eyes. She felt the icy stare, it held so much grief and remorse. "What did you do?"

"I guess I just got weak. I've been doubting myself ever since we got together. I've been worried I'm going to mess things up. Juvia made me feel better about myself. I never meant for it to get that far," Gray confessed, then swallowed hard. "One thing just led to another..."

Lucy knew that he was likely telling her the truth. She had experienced the same thing with Natsu. She hadn't expected them to get so far, but they did.

"But that's honestly as far as it got..." Gray's words entered her mind. "What you saw-"

"What if I never interrupted you two?" Lucy's sharp tone cut him off.

Gray hung his head low, staring at the ground. "I honestly don't know. I just know that's all we did. I didn't even touch her _down there_."

Lucy was torn between scoffing and cringing. She wanted to scoff because he said it as if it made things better, which it didn't. The celestial wizard decided to go with cringing, as she remembered vividly Juvia was still fully dress - _besides her hat_. If they really stopped when Lucy caught them, then he never had the chance to explore the water mage's body.

"Juvia confessed to me again, saying she really loves me. I told her I don't feel the same way, because I don't," Gray's voice was strained, and Lucy had the feeling he wasn't being completely honest with himself. "It was a mistake, only physical. I'm sorry Lucy, I promise," he looked back up, meeting her gaze. "I promise it will never happen again."

The blonde knew the last part was true, about it never happening again, but not because of Gray himself. Lucy was going to end their relationship, making sure there was no way he ever could cheat on her again.

"I'm really sorry," his eyes steeled. "Can you forgive me?"

Lucy let out a nervous giggle. She was finding out that she wasn't very good in these types of situations. "Well I can tell you now that I'm not moving in with you. If you never cheated on me, then I would have said yes."

She decided not to mention the part where she was planning on giving him her virginity. It was better that he didn't know. The romantic dinner she planned was also not needed information.

"As far as forgiving you, I think I can do that," Lucy said, seeing the way it lifted Gray's spirit.

He smiled and moved in to hug her, but her hand rose to stop him from taking another step. "I said I can forgive you, not that I'll forget it happened. You really hurt me Gray. I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust with a woman who _I told you_ I was wary of. You always told me 'she's harmless', or 'she means nothing to me', but clearly you were lying. If you truly wanted to be with me then you wouldn't have allowed something like that to happen. You wanted it Gray, just admit it."

Lucy hadn't expected herself to voice her inner concerns, but lo and behold they surfaced anyways. She waited for an answer, and was surprised by his honesty.

"Okay," he said through a clenched jaw, "maybe I do have some feeling for her, but they're nowhere near how I feel about you. I promise it was a one time thing."

She gave him a perplexed look before sighing. Gray must have thought that was a good sign, because he finally asked the dreaded question.

"Do you want to try to work this out Lucy?" His dark blue eyes were filled with sadness. She could take away all his sadness with just one word. However, she could not give him false hope like that. It was cruel, and besides, he didn't know the whole truth.

"Before I answer that," Lucy started, "there's something you need to know. I'm sorry too."

"What?" The ice-make wizard raised his brow, "what are _you_ sorry for?"

"Well, you see..." Lucy felt her face heating up, "after I left..."

The blonde was at a loss of words. How exactly was she supposed to tell him what she did with Natsu? Blurting it out didn't seem like the best answer, but neither did beating around the bush. Her teeth caught her bottom lip as she tried to decide how to go about this uncomfortable conversation.

"Where did you go?" Gray finally asked, giving her something easy to answer. It would definitely help her get started.

"The forest," she admitted, finding it hard to meet his dark blue eyes.

The man nodded his head, "that's why I couldn't find you. I never thought you'd go there."

"Yeah..." Lucy could feel anxiety weighing heavily on her chest.

"Did you stay there all night?" Gray asked, worried about her safety. He knew the forest was filled with vulcans, and she didn't have her gate keys with her, since they were left at his house. He had waited at her apartment for hours before giving up for the night.

He checked back at the guild, but no one had seen her either. He had no idea where she would go, and it sickened him to know he was the cause for her absence.

"Technically, I did," Lucy started.

He raised a brow, "technically?"

"Yeah..." Lucy felt like this conversation was going nowhere, and she realized she was in fact beating around the bush. Tightening her fist she finally muttered, "I stayed the night at Natsu's house."

Gray's eyes widened. "Natsu's house? Why would you stay at that flame brain's house?"

"He found me crying in the forest," she noted the way Gray winced when she mentioned crying, and was secretly pleased with his reaction. He hurt her, and making him feel guilty was the least she could do.

"Natsu wanted to take care of me..." It wasn't a lie. That's exactly what the dragon slayer had done when they made it back to his house. It seemed like so long ago that she was sitting on his couch and wiping the dirt from her body with a damp rag. The past twenty-four hours had been passing by so slowly for her, and she was looking forward to time going back to normal again after all this was over.

Gray didn't like the idea of the pink haired man taking care of his girlfriend. He knew the pyro wouldn't try something, but it still bothered him that Natsu was the one to be with her last night and not him.

"Is that what you're sorry about?" Gray asked, a slight laugh in his voice. "There's no reason to apologize about crashing at a friend's house for the night."

Lucy fidgeted in her spot, her fingers twitching from her nervousness. "That's not what I'm sorry about... Something happened last night."

"What?" The ice-make wizard asked. "What happened?"

Gray's mind automatically went to the worst case scenario, but he held on to the small shred of hope that his girlfriend wouldn't have cheated on him with the fire dragon slayer.

"Natsu and I..." The celestial wizard took a deep breath, then looked up at the troubled man. "We did some things..."

* * *

Natsu had just finished his mug of fire whiskey when the guild's doors slammed open. He didn't even flinch, laughing with Happy and Mirajane about how Nab will never take a job.

"NATSU!"

Said dragon slayer turned around on his bar stool so see a very irate Gray.

"You fucking fire crotch!" The ice-make wizard took large steps as he sprinted to the bar. A fist collided with Natsu's face, sending him flying into the shelves of alcohol. His back hit an invisible wall, purple lines and characters dancing around the background.

Freed had set up an enchantment months ago just for this occasion, knowing the guild roughed house frequently. It prevented any bottles from breaking, but that did little to calm Natsu's newfound rage.

The fire dragon slayer jumped onto the counter with two fists engulfed in flames. "What the hell was that for?"

"Don't play dumb! I know you touched my girlfriend!" Gray yelled, gaining everyone's attention.

Realization struck Natsu that Lucy must have told him what they did. He could imagine the hurt he must have felt when Lucy admitted that to Gray, but it couldn't possibly compare to the pain Lucy felt when she walked in on Gray and Juvia together.

Natsu narrowed his green eyes in anger, his blood boiling at a dangerous temperature. "You're the bastard that made her cry!"

The ice-make wizard's body tensed. How many times had he seen Natsu get wildly outraged that someone made the blonde shed tears? He always just assumed Natsu cared about his friends, but now he suspected that the dragon slayer might have been harboring feelings for the girl for a while.

Still, Gray was angry, and he wasn't going to calm down anytime soon. "That doesn't give you the right to _defile_ her!"

Natsu could hear the guild's members whispering to each other. Most of them asking who Gray's girlfriend was, since no one was even made aware he was dating someone.

Natsu didn't have much time to eavesdrop before a frozen arrow hit his chest. It stabbed into his flesh, causing him to bleed.

"Damn it!" Natsu ripped the frozen arrow out, seeing that it was dangerously close to his heart. A trail of blood trickled from the open wound, only serving to increase the dragon slayer's rage. "Careful bastard! You could've really hurt me!"

 _"I kissed Natsu..."_ Lucy's voice echoed in the ice-make wizard's head. He didn't want to believe it, but she really had no reason to lie to him.

"That's the point!" Gray threw his shirt off before slamming both hands together, "ice make!"

The fire dragon charged for him, not giving him a chance to finish the spell. "Fire dragon iron "fist!" He purposely punched Gray in the face, sending him flying across the guild.

The shirtless man's impact broke the boards of the wall. Splinters dug into his exposed back, but he couldn't feel it. In fact he couldn't feel anything but the need for revenge. Natsu was supposed to be his friend, and even though they fought, he never thought the dragon slayer would do something like that.

 _"Natsu went down on me..."_ Gray grimaced as he imagined that asshole's face between his girlfriend's legs.

The raven haired man stood up, rubbing the bruise already forming on his upper cheek. He sized up his opponent, debating whether to take him head on or from a distance. The guild hall was large, but not that large. He'd have to keep his attacks in check to avoid destroying the building.

 _"And then I went down on Natsu..."_

Gray smacked his head twice, trying to get Lucy's voice out of his mind. Did she really have to tell him that? Couldn't she just leave it alone and kept it as _'they did things'_.

 _"... until he finished... in my mouth..."_

Gray was pissed off at Lucy. He was pissed at her for cheating on him and for telling him the fucking details of it, but he was more angry at Natsu. Just the idea that the pyro had his cock in his girlfriend's mouth was enough to make him contemplate murder.

"I'm gonna make you pay, Dragneel!"

Natsu bared his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his throat. He was ready for anything Gray could throw at him. Not only was he defending himself, he was fighting to get revenge for Lucy. He was also fighting because an instinctual part of him told him Gray was a threat to his chances at being with Lucy, and he had to eliminate that threat.

He would win Lucy's heart.

Natsu anticipated his enemy's next move, but became distracted when he noticed a familiar scent drifting through the guild's doors.

A dark voice shouted in the back of Natsu's mind as his eyes raked over Lucy's body. _'MINE, MINE, MINE!'_

She was standing by the entrance of the guild, fear in her eyes. Only when he registered her tears did the voice in his head die down.

Her hand flew over her mouth as her watery eyes took in the scene in front of her. She looked so distraught, but Natsu couldn't comfort her as he was now being thrown into a table by Gray's sneak attack.

The table broke from the crash, scraping his arms and legs. He was glad no one was sitting there as he climbed back to his feet. Ice was imbedded in his forearms, and covering parts of the floor.

Flames licked up and down Natsu's arms and legs as he fought to remain in control. He was pissed, and only now realized that Gray wasn't kidding about trying to hurt him.

Still, Natsu wasn't one to give up easily.

The dragon slayer propelled himself with flames blazing from his feet. He grabbed Gray, throwing him back into the already broken wall. He started delivering punch after punch, worried that if he let up, he might get overthrown.

A few times Natsu swiped at the ice-make wizard with his hands, nails scraping those pale arms and causing them to bleed. The pink haired man was out for blood now, and he didn't care who might be watching.

Gray's hands gripped Natsu's wrists harshly, then used his foot to kick the dragon slayer away. He stumbled backwards before steadying himself. He waited for Gray to stand back up, but the smell of wood burning was enough to break his concentration.

A quick glance around the guild was enough to make Natsu wince.

Ice and burns coated random spots in the dining area, and Natsu wasn't sure how their magic got so out of hand. He didn't remember losing control of his fire, but the evidence didn't lie. He was just glad the other guild members had moved out of the way, allowing them space to fight, since none of them seemed to want to get involved.

Natsu looked over at Lucy, who was still crying, upset to see her two good friends fighting. They made eye contact, and all he could do was mouth, _I'm sorry Luce,_ before dodging an attack from Gray's ice-make canon.

Lucy started screaming for them to stop, but her pleads fell on deaf ears. They were in to deep, and nothing was stopping them. The blonde hated being the reason for their pointless fight, and wished they'd just listen and end this.

The two testosterone-driven males continued to fight. The only relief was that they stopped using magic and resorted to fists and legs, punching and kicking to try to claim victory. Gray was fighting because he was mad at Natsu for touching his girl, and Natsu was angry that Gray had hurt Lucy.

Their fight went on for way to long. If only the master was present, he could stop them easily. Unfortunately he was out of town, dealing with the magic council. No doubt it was because of the damage Fairy Tail caused to another city.

The force that _finally_ ended the senseless brawl was everyone's worse nightmare: A pissed off Erza.

Apparently during the fight, one of them had fallen against her, effectively smashing her perfect piece of strawberry cake. That had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

Titania forcefully grabbed both men by their necks and hurled their heads into one another, causing a searing pain to flash through their skulls. "Enough!" She shouted before tossing them out of the guild like a sack of potatoes. "You may not come back until you settle this!"

The two men let out a strained groan as their heads continued to spin from the impact. They should have known their teammate wouldn't allow such destruction in the guild, and they were honestly surprised she allowed it to go on for so long.

They weren't able to worry about it for long, since their heads throbbed and the world was slowly fading around them.

Lucy watched as her two male friends fought to stay conscious. Her tears were still spilling, but it had slowed considerably since they were no longer trying to injure each other.

The redhead then looked at Lucy, who was still crying. The requip mage's hand rested on the blonde's shoulder before saying softly, "I'm not sure what's going on, but I trust you can handle it from here?"

Lucy opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Erza only nodded at the girl before walking back into the guild, closing the doors behind her. The blonde turned to see the two males laying on the stone ground. They were battered, bloodied, and bruised from the unnecessary fight.

The celestial wizard didn't think twice before running over to Natsu, pulling his body into a sitting position before running her thumb over his cheek. Her eyes studied his face, noting the bruises and his busted lip before she glanced at those dark green eyes. He was still awake, and that was a relief to the blonde. "Are you okay?"

* * *

 **So I should probably warn you that I really don't know if this will end with nine chapters or ten, so for now I'll just say we're almost to the ending. Hope I'm not annoying people with extending this story.**

 **I'm so excited to see that there are 54 favorites & 110 follows! That's so cool!**

 **I wanna thank everyone for the favs/follows! You're so awesome! And I want to thank the people who reviewed: FlameDragonHime(x2), MarSofTheGalaxies, westerngoddess, Gh0st's buddy(x2), FlameDracoZ, , ChristieAmanda, caslspirit15, Shunakoo25, Crimsonlink310, Ryuoujin, AnimeArmorFreak, mikethepokemaster(x2), & fairyblackheart. **

**I guess I'll see you next time with Chapter Eight: Closure**

* * *

 **Here's a preview for Day One: Longing, for NALU week. Let me know what you think?**

The celestial wizard didn't trust her voice, knowing she'd crack if she tried to use the wretched thing. So instead, she nodded, terrified and excited at what he wanted to _try_.

The dragon slayer smiled, his sharp teeth coming into view. All she could do was stare, as his head began to lower.

The closer he got, the more she started to sweat. She didn't know if it was because she was nervous, or because Natsu was naturally hot. Either way, she ignored the damp feeling on her body as her heart pounded violently against her rib cage.

Lucy felt his warm breath fanning over her lips, and chills ran down her spine. This was it, her first kiss. It was only then that she realized she really wanted it.

She may not be able to live a normal life: Get married, have children, and grow old with a husband. That was out of her control, but this...

She wanted this, and no one at the church would be able to stop her. She could afford a small sliver of normality, and no one but Natsu and herself would have to know about it.


	8. Closure

**Chapter Eight: Closure**

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked before pushing some pink hair from his eyes. She could tell by his pained expression he was still hurting, and probably suffering from a minor concussion from Erza's attack.

"I'll be fine," Natsu said, though the wound on his chest had yet to heal, and blood was still dripping on his torso. His arms and legs were scraped up, and bruises coated his tan skin.

"You need some bandages," Lucy said, pulling him up to his feet. He was heavy, but she managed to help him up.

"Nah," Natsu shook his head, "I'll be fine." He'd suffered worse damages in tougher fights, so this was nothing to the dragon slayer. His pain tolerance was higher than the normal human's after all.

Lucy huffed, "no, you need to- What the heck are you doing!?"

Natsu's hand was suddenly engulfed in a flame. Through the red, orange and yellow, Lucy could make out flickers of blue, indicating how hot his fire truly was in that moment. He didn't even hesitate before pressing his flaming hand to his chest, cauterizing the wound in a mere few seconds. The dragon slayer winced, then let the fire die when he was healed up.

They cringed from the terrible smell of burning flesh and smoke. Lucy brushed it off, knowing Natsu would be alright, so that was one less thing for her to worry about.

When he was finally to his feet, Lucy turned to find Gray. She saw he was already standing, arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face. She assumed it had something to do with her running to the pink haired man instead of him.

She heard a low growl coming from Natsu when Gray started walking towards them. In the blink of an eye, Natsu had stepped in front of the blonde, effectively shielding her from the angry glare the ice-make wizard was casting.

"Get out of the way hot head," the raven haired man glowered, stopping less than a foot away from Natsu.

The dragon slayer wasn't in the mood for Gray's lame attempts of intimidation. He didn't care if it was technically Erza who took them out, he felt like he was getting the upper hand during their fight, and had no intentions of backing down now.

"You should stay away from her if you know what's good for you," Natsu said, anger and malice dripping in his voice.

Gray flinched for a second, before steeling his nerves. "Lucy only did those things with you to get back at me," he knew he would be cutting deep, but in that moment he didn't care. "She doesn't actually like you or anything."

Lucy's eyes widened, shocked that he would say something so harsh and untrue. Of course the blonde hadn't told Gray how she felt about the dragon slayer earlier, because at the time she was more concerned with confessing her own act of cheating. Before she had a chance to tell Gray, he had already stormed off to the guild to confront Natsu.

"Don't say that, you..." Natsu's fist was wound so tight that his knuckles turned white. "You don't know..." The pink haired man couldn't deny that the thought crossed his mind a few times since yesterday. He'd be crushed if Lucy really did all those things with him just to get some petty revenge.

Gray didn't take pleasure in hurting his friend's feelings, but right now all he wanted to do was make the dragon slayer feel the same kind of pain he felt. He'd say anything to make that happen. "Even if she left me for you, you'd never be more than her rebound."

"Shut up," Natsu growled, wondering just how long his patience would last before he felt the need to attack again. He was actually surprised they'd been this civil for so long - _civil for them anyways._

"Make me!" Gray bashed his forehead against Natsu's, and glared at him.

"I don't take orders from pervy popsicles!" The dragon slayer pressed his forehead harder against the cold man's head.

The two men were locked in a stare down, neither of them showing any signs of letting up.

"You need to stay away from my girlfriend!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have made Lucy cry!"

Gray narrowed his eyes, "it's none of your business! You shouldn't have gotten involved!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Natsu snarled, "leave her out in the forest by herself? That's not what friends do!"

"You certainly didn't _act_ like a friend to her!" The ice-make wizard was the first to pull away, crossing his arms over his bare chest in the process. "What kind of friend takes advantage of a girl when she's like that?"

"What?!" Natsu growled, "I'd never do that!"

"Oh yeah? You said she was crying, and you decide the best move is to _kiss_ her! How sleazy can you be?" Gray saw the flash of confusion in the dragon slayer's eyes. "She already told me you kissed her first."

"It wasn't like that..." Natsu began to doubt himself. It was true that he kissed her first, but it was on the cheek, and it was just to make her stop crying. He had no idea it would lead to _more_ , and he wasn't sure if he would have done it a second time knowing what the outcome would have been.

Honestly he'd rather him and Lucy get together in any other way than how it actually happened. He wished instead he would have summoned the courage to just tell her how he felt and seen where it led from there, but that was nothing he could do about it now.

"Sure it wasn't," Gray said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "If she wasn't so vulnerable she never would have done anything with you!"

Natsu grit his teeth, "you weren't there, so how would you know!"

"Because unlike you, I took my time with her. Apparently you skipped all that and just went straight to face fucking her!" Gray shouted, seeing nothing but red.

"At least I didn't let some other girl suck me off!" Natsu yelled back, ignorant that they were outside and could possibly be overheard. He pulled a flaming fist back, ready to deliver a powerful punch. "I _never_ would have cheated on Lucy!"

Gray's blue eyes widened, "th-that was a mistake." His fist started to frost over to anticipate Natsu's attack, "just like you're _her_ mistake!"

The dragon slayer paused, his fire dying out and his arm lowering. "I'm not a mistake..." His voice lost the confidence it held before, and became soft. _'Am I a mistake?'_

As if he could read his mind, Gray answered, "yes you are. Think about it, she didn't ask you out, she asked _me_ out. Clearly if she liked you she would have gone to you first."

"But...she..." Natsu relived some of his bad memories over again. Lucy coming to the guild at the same time as Gray, the first time he smelt that ice bastard on her clothes, all the shared looks those two gave, every attempt Natsu made at confessing to her, and finally when he smelled Gray on her bed sheets.

It was true, she did ask Gray out first. Natsu wished so desperately that it could have been different. _'Maybe I am a mistake...'_

"You should just leave," Gray said firmly. "She'll never like you. All you'll ever be to her is a one time thing. A mistake! So why don't you just-"

"STOP!"

The shout was followed by the sound of skin on skin contact.

Natsu flinched, staring at the blonde who was now standing between him and Gray. She was facing the ice-make wizard, so he couldn't see the disgusted look on her face. He could however see the hand-sized red spot growing on Gray's non-bruised cheek.

Lucy lowered her stinging hand to her side. Her expression didn't change as she watched Gray process what just happened.

"Did you just...?"

"Yes," the celestial wizard said. "I hit you, and you deserved it for what you said to Natsu."

"But, he-"

"No!" Lucy snapped. "I don't want to hear it. Natsu's not a mistake, and he didn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do, just like Juvia didn't force you either! If I never walked in you two probably would have ended up having sex!"

Gray's mouth went slack, but he didn't bother denying her accusation. "I'm sorry Lucy, if we could just talk-"

Natsu cut in, "Luce, please don't-"

"Stop it!" Lucy was fed up with both of them at this point, and honestly fed up with herself. Everything had gotten way out of control, and it was time that she fixed things. If she ended up breaking his heart, _well_ , that was just a chance she'd have to take.

Lucy turned to face Natsu, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Wait here," Lucy instructed, taking a step away from him.

"But?"

"Just stay, please?" She was pleading with him, hoping he would just listen to her and stay put.

Natsu was upset, but chose to focus on how irresistible her brown eyes were instead. It worked to calm him down a bit, and he found himself nodding. She was so beautiful, so caring, and so assertive when she wanted to be. He admired those traits, and many others about her.

He hoped she was about to become his, though he still held some doubts.

Lucy walked past Gray and muttered, "come with me," without stopping. She padded over to the other side of the street, giving them the slightest bit of privacy.

When she finally faced the ice-make wizard, she noticed he was very tense. His arms hung by his sides, but they didn't look relaxed at all. His previous scowl was fading, but it was still slightly visible.

He dropped his head, hiding his eyes with his raven hair.

Natsu stood a good distance away, glaring daggers at the ice-make wizard. That bastard was responsible for making Lucy cry, and he'd be damned if he let him do it again.

Still, the blonde had asked him to wait there, and he didn't want to upset her. So he just glared at Gray's back, hoping to intimidate his oldest friend who recently pissed him off.

"We need to talk," Lucy said when she found her voice.

The shirtless man buried his hands in his pant's pockets. The large bruise on his upper cheek was turning a dark red, and spread from the corner of his eye to his jaw line. Natsu must have hit him pretty hard, and she was sure the mark would stay for at least a week or two.

Gray ignored the pain. He stared at the ground, trying to figure out what to say to his girlfriend. He knew how things got this bad, so there was no use denying it. He hurt Lucy, and this was his punishment. He hoped she was just getting revenge with Natsu, and that they could go back to the way they were before all this happened.

"Lucy," the raven haired man started, "I'm sorry for what happened in there at the guild. I shouldn't have dealt with things like that, and I hope I didn't scare you."

The celestial wizard sighed, "I was scared, but not of you. I was scared that I was losing my friends."

"I'll always be your friend, Lucy," Gray said in defeat. "I'm sorry for causing a scene and dragging you into it."

"To be fair, I should have told you away from the guild..." Lucy shook her head, "away from Natsu."

The fire dragon slayer's ears perked up at the mention of his name. He had excellent hearing, but he was trying to tune their conversation out. Despite his efforts, the blonde had a funny way of getting his attention no matter what happened.

"That was my problem too," Gray admitted. "I really didn't mean for things to get so out of hand." The raven haired man reached out and took her hand in his.

A low growl emitted from Natsu, eyes narrowing as he fought back the urge to slap that icy hand away from the woman he loved. Still, he waited. His blood boiling while he seethed.

Lucy couldn't hear the disgruntled sounds the dragon slayer, but it wasn't needed to take action. She shook her head, pulling her hand away and letting it drop back to her side. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why's that?" The ice-make wizard asked with a slight bitterness laced in his tone. The flash of sadness in her eyes was enough to soften his voice. "I'm sorry, do you want to talk about all of this later?"

"No," Lucy shook her head. "It'd be better if we just get this over with now."

"Get," he cocked his head, "this over with?" Gray felt his heart get colder. The way Lucy said it, sounded like he was a problem she needed to _deal_ with, and that thought hurt.

"That came out wrong," the blonde pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to think. She didn't exactly know how to go about this, seeing as she'd never broken up with someone before. For a while she thought she'd never have to worry about something like this.

She had to get over the fact that she was about to hurt her good friend. Even though he betrayed her trust, she still valued him as a person. They needed this, needed closure.

"Do you..." Gray sighed, "do you think we could move past all this and work it out?"

Natsu dug his nails into his palms. The bite of pain was nothing compared to the pounding of his heart. He was terrified of losing Lucy all over again. _'What if she thinks everything we did yesterday was a mistake. What if she decides she doesn't really want to be with me. What is she says yes. What if-'_

"No," Lucy said firmly.

Gray's mouth widened as Natsu's fists loosened. Both men were honestly in shock. The dragon slayer had thought his chance with Lucy was just a one time thing, and he would never get a chance to be with her. Gray was just dumbfounded.

"Wh...why?" The ice-make wizard asked, but he already knew the answer.

The celestial wizard just offered him a wane smile. She readjusted the strap of her purse resting on her shoulder before casting a glance behind her. Her eyes landed on the antsy pink haired man, staring back at her with hopeful eyes and a sad smile. That was the man who held her heart, and she wanted to be with him.

"Because I'm in love with Natsu," she saw the shock wash over the dragon slayer. His mouth parted and his green eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to say it so soon, but he was overjoyed that she did.

Lucy smiled at her dragon, before her gaze flitted back to Gray's face.

Those dark blue orbs held anguish. His heart was heavy, but he knew it was selfish to beg her to take him back. He had abused her trust, and there was no getting past that. He really did think they could have a future together. He was ready to ask her to move in with him, and he knew it wouldn't be long before they made their relationship public.

It was better for Gray to forget about the future he imagined with Lucy, because she had already made up her mind. He always felt like she was holding back, and not fully letting herself get comfortable in their relationship. He didn't know if it was because of him, or if that's just how she was. Either way, he hoped for her sake, and for Natsu's, that she finds some happiness with the dragon slayer.

Finally after a few silent minutes, he nodded.

Lucy immediately felt the weight lifting from her heart. He was accepting what she said, and he hadn't even tried to argue with her about it. A small voice in her head said things could go back to normal. She may not have to lose her friend after they break up.

Gray forced the tears forming in his eyes to remain in place. He didn't want to show how vulnerable he felt in that moment. Despite his infidelities, he truly did care about her, but he had to let her go. "I understand."

Gray turned to leave. There was no reason for him to stick around now. He wasn't sure where he'd go, but he knew he just wanted to be alone. He took one step when Lucy suddenly said, "you know... If you like Juvia, I won't be mad if you ask her out."

The ice-make wizard glanced back, a hollow look in his eyes. He knew then and there that he never deserved someone as kindhearted as Lucy. Even after everything he put her through, she still wanted him to be happy. "Thanks," he muttered, before turning away.

"No problem," she said softly, watching him continue on his way. He wasn't heading towards the guild, so she could only guess he wanted to be away from people.

That might work for him, but Lucy wanted company. However, not just anyone would do, she wanted to be around a certain pink haired man.

The celestial wizard took slow steps as she approached Natsu. He was staring at Gray's retreating form with a hint of pity in his eyes. When a gust of wind brought Lucy's scent to his nose, his eyes relaxed and settled on the blonde's face. She had stopped a few feet in front of him, her hands placed behind her back.

"So," Lucy said, a coy smile playing on her pink lips. She could see a smile threatening to form on the dragon slayer's face, but he was fighting the urge.

"So," he said in return. He didn't want to get to excited. Fear that she would change her mind about him filled him with doubt. What if she only said those things to Gray to get rid of him? Just because she broke up with Gray didn't guarantee she'd want to be with Natsu. She could still leave, deciding she didn't want either one of them.

Then again, Lucy wasn't the type to play with people's emotions. She had been direct with Gray, ending things as easily as she could, and that gave Natsu hope.

"I have the rest of the day free," she started, "and I remember you saying that you didn't want to be alone yesterday. Is that still true about today?"

She took two more steps towards him. The gap between them fell short of a foot, her scent - _mixed with his from the shirt_ \- became stronger, soothing him into a comfortable state. He didn't know how she looked so much prettier wearing his shirt, but he wasn't complaining.

Natsu's lips quirked up a bit, "I dunno... I remember you saying something about me being a big boy." The dragon slayer saw the amusement in those big, brown eyes. She looked so beautiful, especially with the way she smiled up at him. Lucy being happy is all he really wanted.

The dragon slayer laughed as he added with a light heart, "you said I'd be fine on my own."

"Well," Lucy said, grasping one of his rough hands in her own, "I changed my mind. I think we both need some company."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Natsu asked incredulously, the teasing tone absent from his voice.

"If that's what you want to call it," Lucy squeezed his hand gently. "I'd like to cook us lunch, watch some lacramavision, then maybe see where that takes us."

Despite her confident voice, the blonde was wearing a serious blush that flooded her cheeks and neck. Natsu only found the sight adorable, and he took a chance by pulling Lucy into a tight hug. "I'd love to do that with you."

"Great," she said against his chest. "But first, there's something I have to do."

"What's that?" Natsu asked, filling his lungs with Lucy's sweet scent. He loved smelling himself on her, and wanted to keep it that way.

"This," Lucy pulled back, much to the dragon slayer's dissatisfaction. That ended quickly when she raised on her toes to plant a firm kiss to his warm lips.

The pink haired man melted into the kiss, relishing in the intimacy between them. He honestly thought he'd never get this close to her before yesterday, and he was so thankful for his chance to finally prove how much he cared for her.

It was long overdue, and they had to go through a mountain of drama to get here, but they made it. Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel were finally able to be together.

"Natsu, will you be my boyfriend?" Lucy asked once she pulled away from his lips. His green eyes were gleaming and his toothy grin was infectious.

He squeezed her hand, "I'd love that."

"I love you," she confessed, kissing him again. It felt so good to kiss him in public and not worry about trying to hide her relationship like she had to with Gray.

Natsu waited until the slow, soft kiss was done before he said, "and I love you too, Luce." It felt so great to hear and say those words with Lucy.

"Let's go to my place," The blonde said, tugging on their connected hands. "I want to stop by the market to get some stuff to make us lunch."

The dragon slayer's ears perked up at the mention of Lucy's cooking. It'd been months since he'd had it. "I'm all fired up!"

"But!" Lucy said, cutting his victory shout short. "First we need to take care of that," she glanced down to his chest. The wound had closed up, but he was still covered in sweat and blood.

The dragon slayer sighed, "fine. I guess I can jump in the river by your house."

The celestial wizard just laughed as she walked side by side with the man she loved. This was how things were supposed to be.

She was naive for thinking she needed a prince charming. Truthfully she didn't _need_ a man to be happy, but if she were to have one, then what she really wanted was a lovable dragon.

And that's exactly who Natsu was.

"Oh Natsu! Lucy!"

The two turned to see Happy flying behind them.

"Hey, what's up?" Natsu asked, not bothering to let go of Lucy's hand.

"Erza said she wants you to come back and clean up the mess you made!" The blue exceed said before looking down at their connection. The feline had to put a paw up to his mouth to control his laughing, "you _looooove_ each other!"

"Stop it Happy!" Lucy scolded, but the exceed was having too much fun with his teasing.

"Damn right!" Natsu said, staring at Lucy and giving her a large grin.

"Na-Natsu," the celestial wizard's face started to warm up, and she was sure her skin was a nice shade of red.

Natsu didn't reply with words. He simply leaned in to place a soft kiss against her hot cheek. A little blood from his busted lip dotted on her skin, and he quickly brushed it off with his free hand.

He didn't have to say anything at all. Lucy smiled and allowed him to drag her back to the guild. She wasn't sure how long it would take to clean up the mess Natsu and Gray made, or how people would react after witnessing that fight, but she was sure of one thing.

As long as she had Natsu by her side, they could overcome anything.

.

.

.

"Are you kidding me? How the hell did you boys manage to get ice _and_ fire on the ceiling?"

Natsu's chuckling echoed in the empty guild hall. Everyone else had cleared out to allow Lucy and him to clean up. "I'm not quite sure. Let's save that for last."

"Alright," Lucy mumbled as she picked up a piece to a broken chair. "Maybe we should- Natsu! What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" The dragon slayer said in a coy tone, his hands snaking around her curvy hips to massage her body.

"Y-you know exactly, _ngh_ , wh-what I mean," Lucy melted in his hands after he went for her sensitive parts. "Na...Natsu we can't... Not here." Despite her feeble protests, she leaned into his touch, throwing her head back so it rested on his shoulder.

"I think here," the dragon slayer whispered in her ear as his hand slipped under her short skirt, "is perfect..."

* * *

 **The next chapter will not be directly after this last scene. It was purely meant to be ambiguous and for a playful ending.**

 **I'm sure you already know this story is coming to its conclusion. I had a lot of fun writing it, even though the subject of cheating is a sensitive one. I could go on and on about how wrong it is to cheat, but I'm sure most people know it's a horrible thing to do to a significant other.**

 **As always, thank you for the favs/follows! Thank you nico2883, caslspirit15, Gh0st's buddy, OTP Trash, FlameDragonHime, mikethepokemaster, Ryuoujin, ChristieAmanda, Crimsonlink310, & SakuraStar1862 for reviewing!**

 **I hope you all like the ending to this story. I'm still writing it, so I'm not sure how long it will take before I can post it. Wish me luck! Let me know what you think!**

 **Next, Chapter Nine: Anticipation**

 **For the NALU week story, I have the introduction, and two days done. There's still five more days to write about though, but I've started day three. (Fingers crossed that I can finish on time)**

* * *

 **Here's a short preview for Day Two: Reunion, for Nalu week.**

The holy maiden looked down at the dirt, avoiding any eye contact she could have with the pink haired man. "His name is END."

Natsu's body tensed, having been so long since he heard that name. "Is that so?" He tried to sound casual, hoping Lucy wouldn't catch anything from his tone.

"Yeah," the blonde finally looked up, her brown eyes boring into his own. "He's a demonic dragon, and my mission is to kill him."


	9. Anticipation

**Chapter Nine: Anticipation**

Lucy Heartfilia was currently sitting in the guild, surrounded by her female friends. Levy, Erza, Lisanna, Cana and Wendy were enjoying the time spent with the blonde, since they rarely saw her lately.

It had been two short months since Lucy and Gray broke up. It didn't take long before a relationship between Lucy and Natsu fully bloomed, which only served to breed rumors since now people _knew_ who it was the two males were fighting over.

Most people assumed Natsu really did 'steal' Lucy away from Gray, which caused them to be upset at Natsu. _Then_ rumors spread about how it was _Lucy_ who cheated on poor Gray and broke _his_ heart.

The one that made Lucy put her boot-covered foot down was when people started saying she was in some type of three-way relationship between the ice-make wizard and the fire dragon slayer.

That's when Lucy decided to make a very public declaration that everyone needed to mind their own business and stop slandering any of their names. Of course the declaration had included a lot more curse words and a bit of arm flailing.

Overall it was a humorous spectacle to see, and people stopped spreading the ridiculous rumors, opting to talk about how quirky Lucy was instead. The blonde preferred this over the alternative, and decided to take it in strides.

Thankfully the rumor problem only lasted the first month after the break up, so the second month was _much_ more enjoyable.

Finally able to breathe in their own relationship, Natsu and Lucy became inseparable. If she wasn't at his house, than he was at her apartment. They tried to keep their public displays of affection to a minimal, but occasionally Natsu would slip if he found a guy being a little to _friendly_ with his girlfriend. Lucy didn't mind though, delighted that he was always there to protect her from flirting creeps.

Another thing that changed was Lucy and Natsu went on missions with just the two of them now - _and sometimes Happy_. Fairy Tails' most powerful team, containing Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Gray was temporarily disbanded to avoid possible conflicts between the fire and ice wizards.

Titania didn't mind, taking this as an opportunity to train Wendy to be a stronger wizard. Gray didn't mind either, deciding to make a duo team with Juvia.

Today was a rare day, because Lucy was at the guild while the fire dragon slayer was off training with Happy in the East Forest.

Don't get Natsu wrong. He wanted to hang out with his precious girlfriend today, but Lucy had insisted on having lunch with the girls of Fairy Tail. Since they started dating, she'd been neglecting her friends, but that was common for a new relationship. She just wanted to show her friends she hadn't forgotten about them.

The small group of girls decided to make it a point to have lunch together at least every other week. They acknowledged that their schedules would sometimes conflict with the other's, since no one knew for sure when they'd take a mission, or how long it would last.

As long as they made the effort, everyone was happy.

"Ghaa, it's already one," Cana bellowed as she drank the last bit of her wine. "I told Gildarts I'd hang out with him today, father daughter shit. I guess I'll see you girls later," the brunette stood up, only to stagger away in a zigzag line towards the exit.

"Well at least he's trying," Erza said, taking a bite of her delicious cake. "She's too hard on the man."

"Well it's hard on her too," Lisanna defended Fairy Tails' alcoholic. "Most of us know what growing up without a father can do to a person."

Everyone at the table except for Lucy and Levy grew up without fathers, and even than, the blonde's father didn't start a real relationship with her until she was already an adult. The girls were silent for a moment before Levy spoke up.

"Maybe we can talk about something more cheerful?" The bookworm gave a half-smile to lighten the mood.

The celestial wizard squirmed in her seat. There was something she wanted to bring up, but couldn't due to Wendy being present at the table. As if by some miracle, the youngest dragon slayer stood up, "Erza, can I pick the next mission for us?"

"I think that's a marvelous idea," the redhead smiled at the youthful teen. "Pick out something that tests not only our strengths, but our weaknesses as well."

Everyone admired the way the requip mage took Wendy under her wing. She was a good influence, even when she said odd things like, "and if there's one for a performing job snatch it up quick. We mustn't keep our fans waiting."

Wendy's jaw went slack as she saw Titania's eyes gleam. "O-okay..." The young blue haired girl walked towards the mission board, and Lucy gave everyone five seconds of silence before she blurted out her news.

"I'm going to sleep with Natsu tonight!" The blonde had said it in a loud whisper, so only the people sitting at the table heard her.

Or at least that's what she thought until she saw both Wendy and Gajeel staring at her from across the guide hall.

Black Steel was snickering as he munched on a metal gear, and the sky dragon slayer's face was beat red with embarrassment.

"Crap," she forgot about their enhanced hearing. She mumbled an apology before looking back to the girls at the table.

"What do you mean you're sleeping with Natsu?" Levy asked in a small voice.

"Tonight's the night we're finally going all the way," Lucy said, completely sure this time. The last time she thought she was going to give her virginity away... Well it had not turned out so well.

"I'm confused," Lisanna giggled, "you mean you two _still_ haven't done it?"

The celestial wizard's lips parted in shock, "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

"It's just you two are practically attached at the hip," Erza said it in a casual tone, "we all just assumed you two already had sex."

The requip mage tapped a finger to her chin, "though I feel I should have a talk with him first. You are an important member of our guild, and I don't want him screwing this up."

"N-no..." Lucy half-giggled, though it was mainly due to her nervousness. "That won't be necessary, but no, we haven't done it yet... We've been waiting."

"For what Lu-chan?" Levy asked, resting her chin in her palm. "It's obvious you two love each other."

A real laugh escaped the blonde, "I just wasn't ready yet, but I am now. I just needed to tell someone though, it's going to be a surprise."

"You haven't told him yet?" Erza asked with interest.

"Nope," Lucy smiled, "I wanted to wait for the two month mark, which is today."

"Well I'm sure he'll be happy," Lisanna said with a nod. "Don't forget protection."

"Oh that won't be a problem," the celestial wizard assured. "I started taking birth control a few weeks ago just in case, so I'm all good to go."

Erza was about to ask what kind when a new person joined their conversation, _or rather_ , a new exceed.

"What are you good to go on?" The voice of Natsu's exceed rang in Lucy's ear.

She turned to see the blue cat floating near her head. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Natsu were training all day?"

"We were," Happy chirped, "but then he said he was feeling funny and that we should call it a day."

"Oh," Lucy frowned at the news, "is he alright?"

"He seems fine," the feline took a quick look around the guild, and stopped when his eyes landed on the white exceed near Wendy. "I left when he took a shower. He said he just wanted some privacy."

"Huh," the celestial wizard was hit with a sudden bout of trepidation. "Maybe I should go check on him?"

Happy didn't hear her response, as he was already heading over to the mission board to go say hi to Carla.

She turned back to her friends, "after our lunch of course."

"No need to wait on us," Erza said as she stood, her shiny armor reflected Lucy's image perfectly. She could see the details in her long-sleeved, white button up shirt, and the slight wrinkles in her blue skirt.

Staying over at Natsu's all the time unfortunately allowed her to pick up some of his bad habits. It wasn't nearly as bad as the dragon slayer's housekeeping skills, but more often than not she found herself opting to skip folding her clothes after being cleaned and just leaving them in the hamper for days.

Lucy tried to smooth out her skirt, but it was no use. It didn't matter that much anyways, she already decided she was heading back to Natsu's after this.

"Yeah," Lisanna agreed, "you've been hanging out with us for the past three hours. Go see Natsu." The white haired girl walked over to the bar to talk with Mira.

"If you guys insist..." The blonde held her breath, waiting for someone to object.

"We do," Levy was the last to stand up. "Go have fun tonight," then the blue haired girl winked, causing Lucy to blush.

She was embarrassed that she told her friends, but glad she did it. Talking freely about her relationship with Natsu was something she loved to do, especially since she wasn't able to when she was dating Gray.

Lucy's eye twitched at the thought of the ice-make wizard. He was still a sensitive subject around her. After two months they'd gotten over the anger and ill feelings towards each other, and they had just begun rebuilding their friendship, but it was still weird.

The blonde could say without a doubt that she didn't like Gray as more than a friend anymore. It was rough at first, because honestly most of their relationship wasn't bad. Things just didn't work out, and Lucy had accepted that.

Besides, being with Natsu, she realized her feelings for Gray were minuscule when measured against how she felt about the dragon slayer. It was weird to compare the two when it came to feelings, but they both felt different.

With Gray she felt the need to act her best, look her best, be her best. It was exhausting, but at the time Lucy honestly felt like that's what she had to do. She was never completely comfortable being herself around him.

Gray had never told her to improve herself, she just did it automatically.

However, with Natsu it was the opposite. She couldn't count how many times she had woken up in the morning, bed head full of tangles, breath far from pleasant, and a grumpiness that wouldn't go away without at least a few more hours of sleep. Still, every time she woke up like that, Natsu was always ready to grab her and curl his body around her.

He didn't seem to care how she was acting, what she was wearing, or how rough her voice sounded after just waking up. As long as she was herself, he was happy.

That perk extended to outside of the 'just woken up' phase to last throughout the day. Some days she'd just run a brush through her hair a few times, brush her teeth, and spend the whole day in her sleep clothes - _though sometimes her sleep clothes was just Natsu's shirts_. The dragon slayer really didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

In fact he was usually the one telling her not to even bother with her make up, saying he hates the way it tastes when he kisses her. Of course when Natsu says 'kiss' it means kissing and sometimes licking.

At first she was grossed out when he started getting a little messy with his lips, but after the initial shock, she realized she liked when Natsu went on pure instincts.

He was so... _Fiery!_

The dragon slayer was always up for anything, whether it was taking a random mission, going on a date at a new place, or experimenting with new things in the bedroom. Natsu particularly liked the last one, which caused Lucy a lot of late nights and sore mornings.

She was pleased though. In the entire two months of their relationship he hadn't once asked about when they'd have sex. She was pretty sure she scared him when she told him she wasn't ready the first time they got intimate. He had been so upset with himself that he assumed she would just sleep with him that day, and she could almost guarantee that was the reason behind him not bringing it up.

Yup, tonight was sure to be great!

The blonde looked around to notice all of her friends had already left and gone their separate ways. Seeing that she had no business left at her table, she got up and sauntered towards the bar.

There she was greeted by the smiling face of Mira. The barmaid smiled as she met Lucy on the opposite side of the bar, "can I get you anything Lucy?"

"Yeah, can I get some of that spicy soup that Natsu loves? To go?" Lucy ordered, and sat at the bar after Mira nodded.

The celestial wizard was worried her boyfriend might be getting sick, so a preemptive strike with soup should help ease the sickness if there was any. Happy wasn't the best at relaying messages, so when he said not feeling well, it could also mean he was hungry. There was no telling, so Lucy decided to be on the safe side.

The wait wasn't long, and before Lucy knew it, she was paying for the soup and heading out the door. Mira wrapped the soup in a brown paper bag with a sticky note that said ' **Get well soon** '.

"How thoughtful," Lucy smiled as she turned to walk towards the forest. The anticipation of tonight was enough to make her blood heat up. She couldn't wait to see the look on Natsu's face when she tells him she wants to have sex with him.

Lucy giggled to herself, until a chill ran down her spine. "Sheesh it's cold out here," the blonde was glad she wore her long-sleeved shirt today, as well as her thigh high black stockings. She was prepared for the early winter weather - _it had absolutely_ nothing _to do with Natsu's kink for her stockings..._

The blonde's boot-covered foot lifted from the ground. She was just about to switch from walking on pavement to dirt, when a voice called out her name.

Lucy cringed when she heard that voice, but she did her best to wipe the unfavorable look off her face before turning around. "Hello Juvia," the celestial wizard said, feigning a cheerful tone.

"Lucy-san, Juvia just wanted to talk to you, if that's alright," the blue haired woman asked, her deep blue eyes reflecting sadness.

"I don't know Juvia," Lucy glanced to the forest before looking back at the water mage, "I need to bring this to Natsu." She held up the paper bag containing the soup.

In reality she just didn't want to talk to the woman. She had gone two months dodging the rain woman, and that was to ease her own pain. It wasn't hard to avoid her, since her and Gray had been on mission after mission for the past two months.

It was difficult to be around Juvia now, because before everything happened, Lucy considered the water mage a good friend.

Of course the woman was always calling her a love rival, and honestly that's what she was at the time, but Juvia didn't know, so Lucy didn't blame her. Still, seeing her now brought back some of the pain she felt that day she caught her with her now ex-boyfriend. It seemed too soon to be talking with her.

"Juvia will be quick," the woman assured, a pleading look on her face.

"Fine," Lucy found herself saying, hoping she didn't make a horrible mistake that would dampen her mood for the day.

The blue haired female nodded, "thank you. Juvia just wanted to tell you she's sorry, and that she never meant to hurt Lucy-san's feelings."

The third person talking was throwing Lucy off, but she understood what she was saying. However, just because she understood didn't mean she was going to answer. She was still reserved about talking to Juvia, and that had mainly been because she didn't know what she could possibly say.

 _Screw you for ruining my relationship with Gray_ or _thank you for doing what you did. If it never happened I don't think I would have ever found out about Natsu's feelings for me..._ Both seemed wildly inappropriate, so Lucy decided silence would be her best bet.

Juvia seemed to pick up on this, so she added with a rushed tone, "Juvia's sorry, she'll leave you alone now..."

The water mage turned around and started to walk away. Lucy was about to just let her do it. It would be the easiest thing in the world to do, not say anything and carry on with her day. Lucy knew better than that though. If she was ever going to move on with her life and get her friends back, she was going to have to get a little messy.

"Wait," the blonde called, causing Juvia to stop.

The water mage turned around to see Lucy walking up to her. "Look, I don't want you to think I hate you or anything," she paused to collect her thoughts, "it's just I'm still upset at what you did. I'm not even mad that it broke Gray and me up, it's just that I trusted you Juvia, and I was shocked to find out you betrayed that trust."

"Juvia never meant to hurt your feelings..."

"But that's what happened," Lucy frowned, looking to the side. "I still want to be your friend, but it will take time. I promise I don't like feeling this way about you, because you mean a lot to me."

"What can Juvia do?" The water mage looked so distraught, and Lucy could tell by the sincerity in her voice that she really was apologetic.

"Just give me more time," the celestial wizard answered. "I've already forgiven you and Gray, but I won't be able to forget what I saw."

The blue haired woman's cheeks turned a dark shade of red, contrasting with her pale skin. The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Lucy cut her off. "I don't want to talk about it anymore though, since it's all in the past. I'm with Natsu now, and you're with Gray. Somehow..." The blonde let out a small giggle that surprised both of them, "somehow I feel like this is how it's supposed to be."

A hint of a smile flashed on Juvia's face, but it was obvious the woman was not allowing herself such a comfort, "Juvia understands what Lucy-san means."

"I'm glad," the blonde smiled herself when she thought about how happy she was being with Natsu. He was her best friend, and the greatest boyfriend she could ever ask for.

Suddenly Lucy's smile disappeared, and a dark expression took over her face, "but if you ever touch Natsu like that, I will _end_ you." There was nothing but malice in her usually sweet voice.

Juvia's eyes and mouth widened at the frightening blonde, she looked ready to murder someone and the water mage wasn't about to poke the bear, "aye sir!"

That caused Lucy to snap out of whatever hatred spell she was under and laugh, "alright _Happy_."

The blue haired female joined in with the laughter, "Juvia's sorry, it was just her natural reaction."

"If you say so," the blonde forced herself to cut the laughing short so she could move on with her day. The soup was going to get cold at this rate. "I really don't want to be rude, but I need to get going."

Lucy expected Juvia to say goodbye and leave, but Juvia was not one to do the expected. The water mage stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around the blonde.

"Uhh," the celestial wizard blinked, trying to figure out why she was now being hugged.

"Juvia hopes we can be good friends again," the blue haired woman explained, "Juvia is sorry for everything, and wants her friend back, but she knows it will take time."

The water mage pulled away from the hug, leaving Lucy with a dumbfounded expression, "Juvia will give Lucy-san all the time in the world."

"Thanks Juvia," Lucy gave her a genuine smile before nodding, "well, I'm going to get going."

"Juvia will see you around Lucy-san," the rain woman nodded back before turning to walk away.

Lucy watched until Juvia disappeared from her line of vision. She honestly believed their friendship could be rebuilt, but it won't be easy. Trust is one of the hardest things to get back once it's been broken.

But this was a start.

The blonde turned to face the forest. She'd have a bit of a walk before she reached Natsu's house, so she might as well use this time to think.

Seeing Juvia again reminded her of the pain she felt that day, but it also let her see how much she's grown in these past two months. What once felt like a searing hot needle being pierced into her heart, was now just a dull pain, similar to a stubbed toe.

Now if Natsu ever did that, well she didn't know if she'd be able to recover in just two months.

She'd probably murder the chick he cheated on her with, then murder him. That's how strongly she felt, but it was silly to even entertain such thoughts, because Natsu was the last guy on Earthland who would ever seek out another woman.

He made it pretty clear that Lucy was the only one for him.

She was excited about tonight. As long as Natsu wasn't sick, that is. If he's not feeling well then she'll just help take care of him until he's well again. Sex doesn't have to happen tonight, but she hoped it'd happened soon.

She was ready to give her virginity to the fire dragon slayer, and she knew he'd be appreciative. She was also looking forward to receiving his virginity in the process.

Natsu told her about how he'd been talking to some of the guys at the guild for advice when it comes to relationships, and that terrified her. It wouldn't have been so bad, but he said the first people he went to were Master, Macao and Wakaba, in other words the three biggest perverts of the guild.

Lucy told him to disregard _anything_ they told him, and instead to go to reliable people. That led Natsu to chatting with Alzack about advice. At least that man was happily married with a kid, so he at least knew how to keep a relationship going. Hopefully Alzack could give him some pointers, not that he really needed any. It was just nice to have some more knowledge about relationships.

Lucy was nervous about one thing though, and it was something she hadn't considered until just now. If they have sex tonight, then that means Natsu was going to _mark_ her as well.

The pink haired man had told her about the mating ritual that dragons and dragon slayers do when they claim a mate. At first Lucy was intrigued, but it quickly turned weird when Natsu mentioned the main part of the ritual.

During the dragon's release, they bite their potential mate... _hard._

Fortunately for Lucy, that wasn't the only part of the ritual.

During the bite, the dragon's saliva mixes with their potential mate's blood. This causes a chemical reaction that determines if they are compatible or not.

The easiest way Natsu described it was this: During the bite, if they are meant to be mates, then their mind will take them back to when their heart first knew they were in love. So basically as long as they both saw a vision, they were good.

Lucy didn't bother asking him what happens when neither, or just one person sees a vision. She was absolutely sure that she was in love with Natsu, and she knew for a fact that he was in love with her too.

 _Hell_ , he said it a minimum of ten times a day.

Lucy was excited to see what her mind would show her. She spent the rest of the walk to Natsu's house trying to pick out which memories she thought may show up. Most of them were sentimental memories, but she remembered Natsu saying it could even be a mundane one.

The thought of seeing herself just sitting at the guild and him saying _hi_ to her crossed her mind, and she hoped that wasn't what she saw tonight. She wanted something romantic, _special_.

Honestly though, as long as she was with Natsu, mundane was alright.

Lucy was pleased to find the trip to Natsu's house wasn't long at all. Every time she went along this path it seemed shorter and shorter. She was also glad that the soup still seemed warm judging by the heat coming from the bottom of the paper bag.

The blonde admired the little sign that said **Natsu & Happy** outside. The house on the other hand could use some work. She talked to Natsu about possibly trimming the trees that were literally growing through his house, but he guaranteed that they _added character_. Lucy could only laugh.

The celestial wizard saw the weights outside that Natsu must have been using for his training session with Happy. The burn marks on the ground were new, so she assumed they were also involved in his workout routine.

 _'Hopefully he's not to exhausted for tonight,'_ the blonde mentally giggled.

Lucy took a few more steps towards his house when she noticed something odd. There was a weird noise coming from the dragon slayer's home, but that didn't make sense since she didn't have enhanced hearing like he did.

She noticed a window on the side of his house was partially open. Lucy slowly and carefully walked up until she was a foot away from the window.

What she saw and heard made her freeze up.

" _Oh_ y-yeah... _Damn_ that feels good," Natsu's voice carried out the window and into Lucy's ears. His hot breath causing the partially opened window to fog up.

She could see he was laying on the couch, with his red blanket draped over the majority of his body. The only parts of him she could vaguely see was his flushed face, and an arm tucked under his head.

The blonde's eyes dropped down to the blanket, and she could see something moving underneath.

Natsu's eyes were closed tightly as he let out another moan, " _Ahhhh, huhnn!_ D-don't stop..."

 _'It's happening again?'_ Lucy couldn't believe it. Out of all the guys in Earthland to cheat, she _never_ expected Natsu to be one of them.

" _Oooooh fuck yes!_ R-right there," Natsu moaned, and Lucy could tell he was in sweet agony, because that's exactly how he sounded when Lucy went down on him. He'd come soon, and she wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of a sinful release.

The blonde clenched her jaw. _'No!'_ She wasn't running away this time, she wouldn't allow him to get away with it. And who ever the fuck was under that blanket, well she was going to get a ten second head start to get the hell out of Natsu's house before she pulled out her whip.

The celestial wizard finally pulled herself away from the window when she heard another groan, accompanied by the sound of something wet and slick, and she guessed it was some woman's mouth.

With her newfound rage, the blonde marched over to the front of his house and threw open the door, letting it slam against the wall with a loud bang.

The noise startled the dragon slayer, and she could see him tense up as he looked to meet her heated glare. "L-Lucy?"

She practically spit as she forced out the words, her vision threatening to blur with her fury, "Natsu Dragneel! What the fuck are you doing!"

* * *

 **So... Hello... Please don't hate me for that ending...**

 **I promise it** _ **will**_ **be funny... And I'm only giving away that hint because I don't want anyone to freak out...**

 **But if you want to, go ahead, because that's exactly what Lucy's doing. :)**

 **Anyways... Thank you for all the favorites/follows. And thank you to those who reviewed: nico2883, FlameDragonHime, SakuraStar1862, FlameDracoZ, fanficlove2014, caslspirit15, jj, Crimsonlink310, mikethepokemaster, Gh0st's buddy, AnimeArmorFreak & Ryuoujin.**

 **It's official, this story will be** _ **eleven**_ **chapters long! So two more to go!**

 **Up next, Chapter Ten: Deception**

 **I have day three finished for NALU week! (Is anyone surprised that I had to chop it in half because it got too long? over 9,000 words)**

* * *

 **Anyways, here is a sneak peek of Day Three: Admiration (part two), for NALU week.**

"I'm sorry Natsu, but it doesn't matter how I feel about you," Lucy could feel the tears forming in her eyes, but she knew she didn't deserve the right to let them spill. She was the one hurting Natsu, because she allowed them to get this close. It wasn't the church's fault for their rules, it was hers and hers alone.

"Please?" The pink haired man hated the desperation that coated his voice, but he had to know. "Just tell me, I promise I'll leave it alone after that... I just need to know," he pleaded, hoping to get her to tell him the truth.

Dragons were greedy by nature, but he wouldn't allow himself to be greedy with her. He knew all about the church's absurd rules about maidens and monks, how they were to sacrifice their entire life's for the sake of their gods.

Natsu never really cared about it until now. He figured if they really wanted to give up their life, then who was he to stop them? It wasn't until his own emotions became tangled with their rules that he decided to give a damn.

He had to know, and he hoped with all his heart she would just tell him.

"I'm sorry," the words left Lucy's mouth, and she swore she could see the heartbreak in his eyes. "I can only be your friend Natsu. You're going to have to be okay with that, because if you're not, I have to leave you."


	10. Deception

**Chapter Ten: Deception**

"Natsu Dragneel! What the fuck are you doing!"

She didn't give him a chance to answer before she threw the paper bag and her purse down on the floor and shut the forcefully door.

"Or should I say _who_ the fuck are you doing?!" Lucy's scowl caused Natsu to freeze in his spot, the movement under the red blanket ceased.

The dragon slayer gaped at her, before his eyes glanced down at the blanket, then back up to her, "it's not what it looks like."

"Oh yeah?" Lucy asked with a heated tone, her feet carrying her to the couch. She towered over Natsu, and she could see fear flash through his eyes. He definitely looked like a person who just got caught doing something bad.

"Who is she?" The blonde yelled as she ripped the blanket away from the dragon slayer's body.

Her eyes narrowed as her brain started to make sense of what she was seeing. It didn't take long before her own face started heating up, her blush crawling from her chest to her cheeks.

She was speechless, so she just stared in awe.

There was in fact, no _she_. And Natsu was telling the truth, it really _wasn't_ what it looked like.

Without the blanket to cover him, he was left fully exposed. Natsu was completely naked, with his hand wrapped tightly around his thick manhood. It was shiny, and she only now noticed the small bottle of lube on the floor by the couch. His legs were bent, which is what gave the impression that someone might have been under there with him.

Her mind had created the ultimate deception.

The sight of catching Natsu masturbating filled her with relief, but it was short-lived as embarrassment crashed over her like a tidal wave, "Ahhhh! Cover yourself up!"

"Huh?" The dragon slayer asked, taking his hand off his erection. It fell against his stomach, glistening from per-cum and lubricant. "I _was_ covered. You're the one who took my blanket."

"Well, here," Lucy handed the red blanket back to him, but he made no attempt to take it. "Well?"

"Well what?" Natsu asked, feeling slightly amused at how flustered his girlfriend was becoming. "It's not like you haven't seen it before."

"That's not the point," Lucy opted to cover her eyes instead since he was making no effort to shield his erection. "I don't want to see you _touching_ yourself."

The pink haired man looked thoroughly confused, "but I thought you said you like watching when I-"

"Ah! Shut up shut up shut up! I only like that when we're already doing _stuff_. This is just weird and an invasion of your privacy," Lucy stole a peek through her fingers, seeing he still hadn't covered up. "Why are you doing _that_ anyways?" She shield her eyes from his manhood while still keeping his eye contact.

The hand he wasn't using for masturbation came up to scratch the back on his head. "Well, after training I was feeling... well I was horny... I sent Happy away so I could... take care of things, but my cold shower didn't help. So, I figured it would help calm me down, but now all I've done is upset you."

"You didn't upset me." Lucy shook her head, "you just surprised me."

"Well to be fair, you walked in on me," the dragon slayer smiled, loving how her blush spread.

Lucy couldn't deny the truth in his words. She let out a giggle as she said, "fair enough."

"Did you really think I'd cheat on you?" He finally asked, hurt and discomfort in his green eyes. He thought he proved to her how dedicated he was to this relationship. He devoted his heart to her, and to hear her make that kind of accusation hurt. It hurt a lot.

The celestial wizard sighed before admitting, "not until I heard you making those kinds of noises."

"I always make noise," he reasoned.

"Yes, but you said 'Don't stop' and 'right there'. What was I supposed to think? It sounded like you were giving instructions," Lucy hated putting him on the spot, but he did make it sound like he was talking to someone else.

Natsu considered her words, knowing that she was already insecure from being cheated on before. Plus he could understand how she could have misunderstood the situation. He flushed as he let out an awkward laugh, "nah... I just like that kinda thing."

"Dirty talk," Lucy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah..."

She raised a blonde brow incredulously, "even by yourself?"

"We all have kinks Luce..." He said it dryly, letting her know he was ready for a subject change.

"I guess you're right..." Lucy thought about all the kinks they'd discovered in the past two months. Biting, dirty talk, dominating her, and of course his fetish for her wearing stockings when they get intimate. "You seem to have more than your fair share though," she pointed out, knowing her main kink was wanting Natsu to lose control, because that's when he was the hottest... _Literally._

"Why are you here?" he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I thought you'd still be hanging out with the girls?"

"I wanted to see you," Lucy dropped her hand, knowing he wasn't going to cover up anytime soon. "Happy said you weren't feeling well, so I brought soup." She turned to look at the paper bag. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, but I can wait until after," Natsu smirked, sending a chill down her spine.

"After _what_?"

A large toothy grin surfaced on his flushed face. "Come here," he outstretched his hands, asking her to join him.

A sigh escaped her as she padded over to the couch. He wasted no time snatching her wrists and pulling her into his embrace. His body was usually warm, but right now he felt hot. It was always like this when he was either fighting or being _intimate_. She just didn't know it worked when he was masturbating as well.

"You couldn't wait for me?" Lucy giggled when his hands traveled over her body. Her back was pressed against his firm chest, allowing her to feel his irregular breathing.

"Well I knew you were having lunch with the girls today, so I didn't want to bother you," Natsu's warm breath fanned over her neck, his lips brushing against her skin.

The dragon slayer smiled as he saw the multiple bite marks adorning her flesh. They were satisfying for now, but what he really wanted to do was mark her as his mate. Unfortunately he couldn't do that until they had sex, and there was no way in hell he was asking her for that.

Just the memory of her rejecting him last time was horrific, and he didn't want to go through that again. He would just wait until she decided she was ready. Until then, he'd take pleasure in biting her for fun.

Besides, she didn't mind when he bit her.

"I guess that's sweet of you..." Lucy felt his stiff erection pressing against her lower back. "Are you ever going to get dressed?" She asked, but she really didn't mind as long as he was comfortable.

"Don't wanna. This is more comfortable," he said, and she could hear the pout in his voice.

"Suit yourself," the blonde snuggled closer to him, causing Natsu to hiss when her body rubbed against his member.

The celestial wizard hummed in appreciation when Natsu's hot lips touched her neck for a moment. "I was thinking about you when I was touchin' myself," his words caused goosebumps to rise over her skin. Lucy let out a soft whimper before his lips reattached to her flesh.

The man chuckled before he started leaving a trail of kisses from her jaw to her shoulder. It was only when his tongue started licking over her soft skin did she have to tighten her thighs.

She could already feel herself getting wet as his hand grabbed her hip, pulling her lower body closer to him. Lucy rubbed her thighs together now, trying to relieve the growing pressure.

"You know," Natsu started, making his way back up to her jaw, "I can smell you right?"

Lucy gasped as his hand moved to cup her womanhood, pressing the material of her silk panties against her wetness. "You smell intoxicating, Luce," he breathed into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

His hand slipped under her blue skirt, past her panties, and rubbed straight over her burning core. She felt him take a deep breath when he finally reached his target, and she heard the soft rumble in his throat when his fingers played with her dripping folds.

"My my, you certainly are wet," Natsu teased before dipping a finger into her opening.

Lucy arched her back, ass grinding backwards on his member. " _Aaahhh_ ," she whimpered when another finger joined the first. He angled his hand so he could sink his fingers halfway in.

She heard his breathing pick up, just like his fingers did. He fingered her as his tongue licked over her neck again, wishing desperately that she was naked like him right now.

"Lucy," he moaned, biting the lobe of her ear and loving the way her body shook against him.

The blonde couldn't take it anymore.

Without saying anything, Lucy started struggling against him. He opened his eyes wide, terrified that he somehow crossed a line, even though they'd done this countless times before. He was relieved when he found out she was just shifting, until the blonde was now face to face with her dragon.

Her hand ran along the side of his shaft before she took a hold of him. Natsu bit his lip as his hand returned to her quivering core. He didn't even bother returning to the same actions, deciding instead that his fingertips would focus on her bundle of nerves.

Turns out Natsu made the right call, because it made Lucy moan his name as she pumped his cock faster. She was glad he was well lubricated, because she had no problems sliding her hollowed fist up and down his manhood.

"Oh yes," Natsu rested his forehead against her shoulder, unable to think coherently. "Yes yes, don't stop, p-please," his begging was something that Lucy loved. It made her feel empowered, strong, because for a minute, she had control of the mighty dragon slayer.

"Your h-hand feels awesome, Luce," his hot breath made her shoulder dampen from the humidity he put off.

"Better than yours?" Lucy was flushed, her body heating up from the intense warmth her boyfriend emitted. He had gotten a lot better about controlling his body temperature, but it was still _hot!_

"Yes!" The dragon slayer groaned as her grip on his cock tightened, "so much better!" He was panting, but Lucy's breathing was just as ragged. He could feel the way her legs tensed and loosened, her body shook, and she started moaning his name over and over again.

Natsu knew she was close. _Hell_ , _he_ was already close, but that just wouldn't be fun to end things there. He quickly withdrew his hand from her body, causing the blonde to groan against his skin.

"Bed," the pink haired man commanded, "now!"

That was the newest addition to Natsu's house. She had forced him to buy a bed, because she refused to sleep on a hammock when she spent the night - _which was most nights now_. They had been sleeping together for the past month, but it had not resulted in sex, _yet_. He ended up getting a full-sized bed, knowing anything bigger would take up too much space in his house.

Natsu jumped on the bed with an eager smile on his face as he waited for Lucy to remove her clothes. He had to have her, now.

"Do you want me to leave these on?" Lucy asked as her finger tugged on the stocking of her left leg.

A wicked grin darkened his features as he nodded, "absolutely." His dark green eyes were filled with lust and appreciation for the sight before him.

She barely had a second after her she removed the rest of her clothing before Natsu grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto the bed with him. He caged her in, letting her know he did not intend on letting her go anytime soon.

"Lucy," he groaned in pleasure as his hand rubbed her already wet core, "please, can you sit on my face?"

A fierce blush spread over Lucy's cheeks. He'd been asking her to do that _a lot_ ever since he discovered the position.

"Yeah," she moaned, loving the way Natsu's fingers slid along her opening. She craved more though, she craved his tongue.

The dragon slayer smiled, releasing her from his hold as he laid down on his back. He watched, lazily stroking his cock as he waited for her to climb on top. She did so with slow movements, enjoying the way he whined for her to hurry so he could _eat her_.

 _Oh_ , it send a shiver down her spine.

Lucy's full thighs straddled his head. Her hands rested on the headboard, waiting and bracing herself for his attack. She didn't wait long before his tongue darted out and ran along her wet folds.

Two warm hands cupped her ass, pulling her so she was practically suffocating him. He didn't mind. It only served to bring her delicious taste and mouth-watering smell closer to his senses.

His hungry tongue lapped at her, licking every inch of her outside before he dived in. His wet muscle sunk into her opening, tasting the flavor of pure Lucy. She was delicious, and the non-stop moans from above him let him know she was enjoying this too.

His tongue went as far in as he could go, before he started to thrust in earnest.

Lucy let her head tilt back, she was in heaven. Natsu's heated muscle warmed her up from the inside, spreading the pleasure throughout her flushed body. Her grip on the headboard caused her knuckles to go white, but she felt no pain, only wonderful bliss as he tried to go in deeper.

One of his hands coiled around her leg, the fingers brushing against her bundle of nerves before rubbing the nub fervently.

" _Ahha, Na-nghh_ ," Lucy's thighs instinctively closed up, pressing her womanhood closer to his open mouth.

Natsu pulled away just enough to mutter, "I love tongue fucking your sweet pussy!" Then he went back to assaulting her dripping core with a hungry need.

Lucy flushed with embarrassment at the way he talked. It was something they discovered on accident, but she was so glad they did. Natsu had a kink for dirty talk, and Lucy didn't mind in the slightest.

She wasn't as comfortable with speaking _that_ dirty with him yet, but she was getting there. _Baby steps_.

"D-do you like it when I ride your face?" She was surprised she was actually able to say it with how breathless she felt, her heart was thrumming out of control, and she could feel her climax approaching quickly.

Natsu nodded against her wet flesh, delighted that she was taking part in his kinks. He knew it was difficult for her to express herself like that, so he appreciated the effort all the more. And to show his appreciation-

"Oh god!" Lucy shouted when his mouth captured her engorged bundle of nerves, his tongue flicking it with an intensity that only he could muster.

She wanted to remain still for him, but she couldn't help the way her hips moved on their own, grounding her body against his face to ease the tension building in her lower region.

The unique flavor of Lucy was enough to make Natsu's head spin, but he had to have more. There was a certain taste she made, but only after he brought her over the edge.

"Pinch your nipples," Natsu instructed before returning to her aching core.

Lucy did as commanded, her hands palming her voluptuous breasts before her fingers tightened around the pink tips. All of her external sweet spots were being hit, and her body felt like it had caught on fire.

Being with Natsu, she had to be careful she really _wasn't_ on fire.

"Fuck!" The blonde cried out, much to Natsu's satisfaction. He could feel her legs shake, her core quivering, he knew she was close. "Yes, yes, _yes!_ "

Lucy's body arched when she finally hit her climax, "uuuungh!" She shut her eyes as surges of pleasure crashed through her body. Her thighs clamped together, smothering the poor dragon slayer between her legs, threatening to crush him as the tantalizing feeling reached every nerve in her body.

Natsu growled when he tasted the sweet flavor that only came when Lucy did gushing in his opened mouth. The vibrations from his growl reverberated through her body, causing a second mini spasm to take over.

She was exhausted, and they'd only just begun. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead and the nape of her neck, causing her hair to cling to her skin. She didn't bother trying to fix her appearance, knowing Natsu loved it when she looked disheveled.

"Suck me too," Natsu grunted as he tried to lick up all her remaining juices. He was unsuccessful, as some slid down his cheeks and soaked his pink hair. He couldn't care even if he put every bit of effort in the task.

"Can't..." Lucy rasps as she tried to catch her breath, "move..." Her body was two seconds away from collapsing from the pleasure coursing through her veins.

Natsu was more than willing to help her out.

Lucy wasn't sure how he summoned the strength to grip her hips and pull her off him. She mustered her last bit of leg power to make the switch easier on her eager boyfriend as he turned her around.

The blonde was still in her post-orgasm trance. When her mind finally cleared, she was resting on Natsu's face again, except this time she was facing his twitching erection.

Already knowing what to do, she leaned in grabbed the fleshy pole. Her hands pumped at his arousal, noticing it was already leaking pre-cum. She parted her lips wide to take in his thick member, wanting to fully satisfy his needy body.

She immediately recognized the taste of his own fluids mixed in with the strong flavor of strawberries. Right now she was thanking herself for buying them that special lubricant, as it made his cock taste amazing.

Don't get her wrong, she loved the meaty taste of his flesh, but this was a nice treat for the blonde.

Natsu moaned at her ministrations before assaulting her sweet pussy again with his tongue. Slipping in two fingers, he began to pump in and out of her delicious core to ensure his victory. The dragon slayer liked to make things a challenge, and for this battle, it was to see who could make the other come first.

The pink haired man had no idea that Lucy intended on giving up her virginity today, so in his mind, this is where he was going to finish. He preferred releasing in her mouth, because it made the animalistic side of him _very_ satisfied.

Lucy on the other hand knew completely about her plan, so she was careful to bring Natsu close to the edge, but not allow him to topple over. However that was easier said than done.

The dragon slayer was determined to win, and it forced the blonde to fight with herself between giving pleasure, and receiving it. The closer she became to her own orgasm, the harder it was for her to control herself while sucking on his thick cock.

She tried to stay focused, even when Natsu's tongue swirled around her clit before he attached his lips to it. The pink haired man used the tip of his wet muscle to tease her, until she was begging for more of the wonderful sensation.

"Please," Lucy moaned as she licked at the side of his shaft, "please, make me cum!"

 _'With pleasure,'_ Natsu thought as he added a third finger, stretching her inner walls as wide as they'd ever been. He knew it was her weakness, being spread and having her sensitive nub sucked, so he didn't hold back as he mercilessly ate her out.

The overwhelming burst of pleasure forced Lucy to deep throat her boyfriend as she hummed in satisfaction. Natsu's hips bucked, allowing him to fuck her throat. In the last two months she'd learned how to relax her mouth and throat to allow him to fully enter her, which Natsu couldn't get enough of.

The fire-user's head spun from the amazing feeling of her throat massaging his cock. His erection twitched in her mouth, and she felt the way it pulsed against her tongue. He was dangerously close, and the way he moaned, " _fuck_ , _ohhh_ , Lucy!" she knew he was about to pop.

That caused her to do the most evil thing she could have done.

She got off him.

Natsu felt her mouth pull away from his needy arousal. His hips bucked, but they only met air as she was no longer there.

"Luuuuuucy..." He whined as he blinked through glossy eyes. He finally found her, sitting between his spread legs with a devilish smile on her face. "Why'd you stop?" The dragon slayer was panting, his cock throbbing against his body, needing a release.

"I thought we could try something different today," the gorgeous blonde said as she started crawling over his body.

"D-different?" He swallowed despite his dry throat. "How?"

Her thick eyelashes batted, a lustful glint danced in her deep, brown eyes. She straddled his hips, rubbing her drenched core against his manhood.

The dragon slayer threw his head back as he let out a gasp. "That feels pretty good," he said as she started sliding against him, creating a delicious friction.

Natsu tried to blink the cloudiness in his head away, but something about her using his cock to pleasure herself was too much to take. "I think I like different!" He bucked his hips, causing her to whimper.

"Me too," Lucy admitted before leaning in to capture his lips. She kissed him softly while her juices saturated his cock, getting him prepped.

Her swollen lips pulled away from his, her tongue licking his bottom lip before retreating back into her sweet mouth. Natsu was mesmerized by every little thing she did, and he gulped when she parted her lips to speak.

"I want you Natsu," the look in her eyes told him she was absolute, "I'm ready."

* * *

 **One chapter to go!**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you to those who reviewed: silver light of dawn, Gh0st's buddy, FlameDragonHime, Guest, MarSofTheGalaxies, mikethepokemaster, Crimsonlink310, & Goddess-of-the-Delirious, fairyblackheart, Jazmin-Chan Senpai, & RunningWithTheRiptide. **

**Up next will be the final chapter: Love**

 **I'm almost done writing the NALU week, just two chapters to do!**

 **BTW I posted the introduction chapter for my NALU week story... If you wanted to check it out.**

* * *

 **Sneak peak at Day Four: Secrets, for NALU week:**

Natsu's mouth left hers in favor of exploring more of the maiden's body. He had to admit, the pout on her lips was pretty damn cute, but he wanted to taste _every_ bit of her.

A soft mewl escaped her plump lips when his mouth sucked on her neck. He planted wet, open-mouth kisses from her jaw line, to the crook of her neck. His sharp teeth leaving love bites as he trailed his way back up again.

Everything he did seemed to make Lucy dive further and further into the world of lust, and Natsu couldn't blame her. Everything she was doing made him do the same damn thing. He especially loved the noises she made when he touched her. She was so _responsive_.


	11. Love

**Chapter Eleven: Love**

"I want you Natsu," the look in her eyes told him she was absolute, "I'm ready."

The dragon slayer was rendered speechless. For a moment he thought he was dreaming, until she slid against his cock once more, tearing a heady moan from his throat. He _definitely_ wasn't dreaming.

The confidence Lucy showed made him feel more at ease. "You're ready for...?" The pink haired man placed his hands on her thighs, "...sex?"

The blonde, despite her confidence, blushed madly. "Y-yes," she nodded her head, hoping her suddenly nervous voice didn't give him any doubts. She steeled herself, placing a hand on his chest. "I'm ready. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"This doesn't have to do with earlier, right?" He was referring to her catching him masturbating. He hoped she wasn't trying to make up for the accusation she threw his way.

"It's not. I've wanted this for a while now, and thought today would be a good day," the blonde replied, calming him down a bit.

"What's today?" He asked as his brain started thinking about what today might be. It was a Tuesday... But other than that he didn't know of any other meaning behind it.

The celestial wizard giggled, "we've been together for two months today."

"Oh," Natsu said, feeling embarrassed that he forgot. "I'm sorry I didn't remember."

She shook her head to assure him, "it's alright. I didn't expect you to know... Just remember the year anniversaries."

"Years?" The dragon slayer asked in a hopeful tone.

"Years," she confirmed. "I plan on sticking with you for a loooong time, if that's okay with you." She smiled, and he swore the room lit up at her action.

He nodded eagerly, "absolutely!"

"So," Lucy said, squeezing his cock, "are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Natsu gripped her thighs, excitement bubbling up in his chest.

"Okay then," Lucy's head dropped as she pumped his cock a few times, making sure it was rock hard. She wasn't surprised that it was.

The velvety skin shined from her juices, letting her know he was well lubricated. She was glad she started taking birth control weeks ago, so they could enjoy this fully without worry.

Once she lined his erection up with her opening, she slipped the tip between her folds. After making sure it would be a clean landing, she looked up at Natsu. Their eyes were locked as she slowly lowered herself onto him.

The pace she set turned out to be beneficial for both of them. It allowed Lucy to adjust to his thick size at a comfortable rate, while it allowed Natsu to get used to the overwhelming heat swallowing his cock. He was a fire dragon slayer, and was shocked that something actually felt hot to him. It would surely drive him insane.

Natsu was almost halfway in before they ran into trouble. The dragon slayer gritted his teeth as he felt her inner walls resist his thickness. He had to summon every ounce of willpower not to buck up into her heat that encompassed himself.

Lucy started to feel some discomfort from the intrusion, but it was tolerable. Three fingers had nothing on his member, because she felt the delicious burn of being stretched wider than ever before.

She let out a soft grunt as her body took in a few more inches. She hurt, but the determination to conquer her dragon spurred her on. She could handle anything Natsu threw her way.

The blonde finally took everything he had in her body, trapping him there until she saw fit to move. The dragon slayer had resisted the urge to shut his eyes, opting to keep Lucy in his sight. This was unlike any pleasure he'd felt before, and he'd be damned if he missed out on any of it.

He could feel her walls subtly moving with every heavy breath she took, carefully massaging his cock that was tightly secured in her womanhood.

"H-how ya feelin'?" Natsu hadn't realized how effected he was by all this. His own breath was heavy and shaky, so he tried to regulate it. However, once Lucy started talking, he forgot how to breathe all together.

"It feels weird, but a good weird," she noticed the odd look on Natsu's face. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, not wanting her to hear his voice again. He wanted to appear confident and strong, but being this deep inside her was making him feel weak, but in a good way.

"I'm going to try to move," the blonde didn't wait for a response. Instead she rolled her hips, eliciting a shutter from her body.

Natsu had a strong reaction too, gripping her thighs harshly as he felt himself move inside her. He expected her to stop, but she kept going. " _Nggh_ ," the dragon slayer moaned through clenched teeth. He desperately wanted to close his eyes and throw his head back, but he forced himself to look at her.

 _'God she's beautiful,'_ Natsu thought as he watched her bounce up and down on his cock. She was going at a decent pace, slowly picking up speed with every thrust.

Lucy's skin glistened from sweat, his hands gliding over her thighs easily when he wasn't gripping them. Her large breasts jiggled every time she lowered herself on his cock. The curves of her waist and hips made his mouth water, and his lips parted wider each time he saw himself disappear in her heat.

It was so unreal, yet he knew it was actually happening. He was making Lucy his!

Tan hands came up to caress the pliant skin of her breasts, massaging them until they turned a nice pink color before he focused on her perky nipples. The buds felt different from the rest of her body, but he loved them just the same. He brushed them with the pads of his fingers before tugging slightly.

Every little extra touch he did caused her to clench down on him just a bit. It wasn't enough to make him come, but it was enough to send a fire straight to his belly.

Lucy continued to dominate his body for a while before her legs tensed up.

"Do you want to take over?" The celestial wizard asked breathlessly, "my legs hurt." Hurt was an understatement, because currently they burned, and not from his body heat.

He nodded, excited for the chance to take the lead.

Lucy pulled up, letting his cock slip out of her and slap against his toned stomach. He wasted no time, deciding to get up and push her to rest on her back. The blonde fell without resistance, her body already weakened from their past activities.

He caged her in once again, his mouth inches away from hers. "I love you, Luce," he said it so unexpectedly that she thought she might have imagined it. The look in his eyes told her she wasn't making it up.

A smile graced her lips before she gave him a soft kiss. "I love you too, Natsu," her hands slid through his sweaty pink hair. Some of it was matted, while others clung to his forehead. He looked drop dead sexy, especially with his swollen lips that looked edible.

The two began to kiss again, tongues roaming around while his hand reached between their bodies.

He wasn't exactly sure where her entrance was from this angle, so he rubbed the tip against her folds until he found his way. His cock invaded her womanhood a lot easier than it did the first time, letting him know she was used to his size.

That didn't mean he didn't still stretch her though, because she let out prolonged moan when he eased himself in.

Lucy's legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. His body heat flared up for a split second, but he was able to stop himself from getting to hot. He didn't want to burn her while they had sex for the first time. That definitely wouldn't be a good memory.

He rocked into her at a slow pace, trying to convey how much he loved her with every snap of his hips.

The blonde enjoyed the way he filled her, but she was craving the wild, fiery dragon slayer she adored. Her fingers went to his toned back, nails digging into the firm back.

The pink haired man broke the kiss as he let out a grunt. "I like that," he said, not breaking eye contact.

Lucy's swollen lips were parted, panting before she said, "I'll keep it up if you go faster."

"Deal," Natsu's pace instantly increased, pounding into her sweet warmth like never before.

She began to writhe under him as his hips hammered into hers. " _Ahaa_ ," she let out a cry when she felt his hot lips sucking at her nipple, not even aware he had moved.

He only suckled her breast for a few thrusts before he lifted his body up, one hand supporting him while the other grabbed her hip to keep her still.

Natsu grit his teeth as his hips rammed into hers. She was so deliciously tight that his head spun. Every time he slammed his cock into her core, a burning flush spread on his body.

His cheeks were stained red from the heat they created. His breath came out in white smoke, as if the air around him was freezing. His bruising grip on her hip kept her from squirming, because otherwise she'd be writhing in pure pleasure.

"Y-yeaah N-Nat...suu... _ohhh, faa-fuck!_ Harder!" She wailed with ever thrust, her body jerking from the overwhelming sensations coursing through her veins. "Oh yes! Just like that!" Her head tipped back when he increased the roughness of his thrusts, hitting her sweet spot every single time.

Sweat dripped down his face as the pleasure welled up inside. She was quivering, the tell-tale sign that Lucy was close, except now, he was experiencing it in a whole new way.

A throaty cry tore from her just as she toppled over the edge. Her inner walls clenched tightly around his arousal, squeezing him and easing up in a rhythm that had him seeing white spots.

He tried playing through the pleasure, but it was too much, _she_ was too much!

He roared as he felt himself fly over the edge with her, spurting his hot cum deep into her needy body. It came in three, powerful bursts, that left him panting and shaking as every nerve on his body began to pulsate.

Natsu felt the strength leave him in an instant. The dragon slayer's body slumped over hers, worn out from the strenuous activities they partook in.

His breathing was ragged, sounding like he coughed up gravel. His limbs protested any movement, but he had to get off Lucy. He could hear her irregular breathing, knowing his weight was only adding to her strain.

Natsu forced himself up my his arms, peering down at the woman he just claimed as his own. She looked gorgeous, with her hair a mess and her slick skin glistening. He had half a mind to call her a goddess right then and there, but his words fell short when he noticed something wrong.

"Fuck!" The dragon slayer grunted as he pulled out of Lucy. His swollen cock slipped out of her body slowly, earning a soft gasp from the blonde.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, but his mind was temporarily drawing a blank as he watched his liquid seep out of her womanhood. It was a milky color, with a thick consistency.

Natsu's fingers dipped into her folds, mixing his seed with her arousal, watching as it blended together in perfect harmony.

"Natsu?"

The pink haired man's eyes snapped over to Lucy. She looked concerned, but he didn't know why. "What?"

She blinked, as if confused by his question. "You... you said 'fuck'. It sounded bad."

"Huh?" The dragon slayer looked down at his finger, that was pushing their combined liquids back into her body before he remembered what was troubling him. "Damn it, yeah it's bad," he said as he pulled his finger back to his lap.

"What is it?" Lucy sat up, feeling empty now that there wasn't a large cock inside her.

"I forgot to mark you as mine," he sulked, sitting on his ass with his legs spread. "I can't believe I let myself forget."

"It's okay," Lucy assured, "you can mark me next time."

"Next time?" Even though Lucy clearly said she wanted to spend years with him, he - _for some reason_ \- didn't think about this happening again. He was relieved when she nodded her head. "Well that's good for next time, but I really wanted to do it now."

"If it makes you feel better," the blonde said, crawling forward. Her breasts swayed as her knees moved to bring her closer to the dragon slayer. "I think next time will be sooner than you think."

"What makes you say that?" Natsu asked, but his question was answered immediately when he felt Lucy's slim fingers wrap around his cock, giving it a pump.

"You look ready to go," her voice came out smooth and deep. It was a sultry tone he craved.

Her hand rubbed him a bit more, but he was already rigid. "What do you say?"

"You want to do it again?" Natsu asked, surprised and aroused by her voice and actions. _Hell_ , just by her in general!

"I think I have one more round in me," Lucy said as she let go of his cock. "How would you like me?"

"What do you mean?" The dragon slayer asked as he admired Lucy's naked body, knowing he was a lucky man.

"What position do you want me in? I'm sure you have some fantasies," the blonde winked, sending a chill down his spine.

 _Fantasies._ Sure he had them, a ton of them, but to have permission to do one... There was one that'd been on his mind for a long time. "You sure?" Natsu asked, getting up to kneel.

"Yes, anything you want," Lucy said, but as soon as it slipped through her mouth she felt some doubt. Maybe she should have given him some ground rules first, otherwise she might be fucked in the wrong hole today...

Not that she wouldn't be willing to do that... Just not _now_...

"Awesome!" Natsu beckoned her with a hand, "come here and turn around."

"No!" Lucy shouted, scared to death that she'd been right to doubt all along. "You can't stick it in there yet!"

"Huh? Why not? You said _anything_ I wanted." The dragon slayer let his head tilt to the right. "It was just in there a minute ago..."

"Where are you trying to put it?" She asked warily.

"In your pussy," Natsu said the words so casually it made her shiver. "Where else would I..." His thoughts barely trailed off before he realized what she was implying. "Oh! I wasn't even thinking of doing that..."

"Okay, good," the celestial wizard breathed easy knowing that hole would stay a virgin for now.

"Wait, you said _yet_ ," he formed a devilish smile as he asked, "does that mean you'd be willing to let me fuck your ass _later?_ " His cock twitched as the words left his mouth.

"Oh my gosh!" Lucy covered her beat red face with both hands. "I'm going to die from embarrassment!"

The blonde let out a nervous laughter until her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just us here, and I won't make fun of you."

"You won't?" She asked, moving one of the hands covering her face.

"Well... maybe just a little bit," he grinned at her, earning a light slap on the chest.

"I promise I wasn't going to do that to you Luce," the dragon slayer nuzzled his face against her sweaty shoulder. "Besides, I dunno if the dragon's mating ritual even works in the butt," he started laughing, causing the flustered woman to push him away.

"You're not going to let that go are you?" Lucy asked scooting away from him to rest on her knees.

"Probably not," he shook his head, "you're just so much fun to mess with."

"Whatever," she said, but her tone suggested some amusement of her own.

"Were you really serious? About anything I want?" The dragon slayer's eyes gleamed with eagerness.

Lucy gave him a stern look. "As long as it's not _that_ , then I'm fine," she ended it with a gentle kiss to his lips.

When she began to pull away, he pushed forward, keeping their lips connected. He could taste a hint of salt from the sweat, but didn't mind as he licked the seam of her mouth hungrily.

The blonde opened up, letting him explore the moist cavern to his heart's content. The man's hands started to roam around her body again, until his fingers brushed both nipples. A soft mewl came from her, and he found he liked the dainty sounds she made, but what he really wanted was her to lose control.

His hands roughly massaged the pliant skin, kneading the flesh between his tan fingers until she climbed in his lap.

Natsu pulled back, letting the kiss end. A trail of saliva ran down the corner of her mouth, and he couldn't resist the urge to lick it up. His dark green eyes met her brown orbs, "turn around and get on all fours." He left no room for negotiations, and that thrilled her.

She loved when he commanded her in the bedroom.

Lucy slowly climbed off him, moving around the bed until she faced the headboard. She was beyond embarrassed to be in a position like that, with her ass fully in his view, but she knew deep down Natsu wouldn't really make fun of her. He liked to poke fun sometimes, but he'd never intentionally hurt her feelings.

She could trust him.

Natsu shuffled behind her, not thinking twice when he grabbed her soft but firm butt cheeks. The skin twitched at his touch, and he was tempted to explore some deviant fantasies floating around his mind. He shook his head violently, reminding himself that's not what Lucy gave him permission to do.

His eyes trailed south. He had to bite back a whimper when he saw her womanhood. It was completely drenched, with his cum leaking from her heat. Gulping hard, the dragon slayer guided his cock to her opening.

Since they just had sex, she should be good to go, so instead of taking his time, he shoved his entire length into her in one quick snap.

" _Aaahh, fuck!_ " Lucy's arms gave out, forcing her to settle with leaning on her elbows. She hadn't expected him to be so rough right away, but she'd be lying if she claimed it wasn't a turn on.

"Oh shit, did I hurt ya?" Natsu asked, his vision blurry from the tightness and heat surrounding his cock.

She couldn't shake her head fast enough, "perfect. It was...perfect."

He grinned, then started to rock into her body at a decent pace. He quickly noticed the difference between the three positions they'd tried today, and he couldn't decide which one he liked most. Probably missionary, because it gave him a chance to dominate her, and see her pretty face at the same time.

Although, _this_ was amazing too.

He leaned over her body, one hand supporting him while the other found her swinging breasts. He took turns pinching her nipples while he pounded into her tightness.

" _Oooh, y-yes!_ " She raised her ass in the air, giving him a better angle for penetration.

The dragon slayer's tongue flicked over her back, trying to decide where he wanted to mark her. He knew the classic place was the neck, but he also knew it would leave a scar. He really didn't want Lucy mad at him if it was visible to the public.

Natsu glided in and out of her with ease. Turns out his cum made the best lubricant, and she was filled with it. So much so, that she was gushing with the fluid. Some of it even landed on his bed sheets, but he didn't give a fuck.

His mind was flooded with ecstasy from the feeling of being inside Lucy. He loved her so much, and to be this close to her filled him with hope and trust that their relationship was growing stronger.

He filled her up nicely, stretching her walls with every fervid buck of his hips. She seemed to enjoy it too, because she moaned and whimpered incessantly.

She felt amazing wrapped tightly around his cock, but the greedy dragon slayer wanted more. He wanted to go deeper! The dragon slayer grabbed both creamy cheeks, spreading them so he could do just that.

One sharp thrust caused Lucy to let out the most unladylike grunt either of them had ever heard.

The blonde's face immediately flushed a bright red from the mortification streaming through her mind. Natsu on the other hand, had a very different reaction.

He gripped her hips hard, only to ram into her with everything he had. He was trying to get her to do it again, loving the way she sounded. He knew the only way she made that grunt was because she was in so much pleasure she stopped caring about what she sounded like. He wanted to get her there again.

The thought of getting her to grunt again spurred him on despite the burn he felt in his thighs. She made similar noises as he increased his speed. His hair was sweaty from the intense heat surrounding them, but he vaguely registered it as he finally got Lucy to make another one of those sounds he loved.

"St...stop it," the blonde whined, yet her hips were coming back to meet his impact.

The dragon slayer slowed down just a hair, "you really want me to stop?"

"No!" Lucy groaned, her head coming down until her cheek rested on the sheets. They felt so cold compared to her body. She whimpered in a broken voice, "ma-ke it... hot-ter!"

"Are you sure?" He asked as his cock pulled out, just to slam back in.

"Yes!" She screamed, thankful for the fact that Natsu's house was in the middle of the forest where no one could hear them.

The dragon slayer complied, heating up his member inside her. She felt it immediately, and she swore for a second she saw stars.

" _Uhhghn_ ," Lucy's back arched just as another toe-curling orgasm racked her body. Tremors forced her to shake, her inner walls clamping down on the thick cock deep inside her.

Copious amounts of her clear fluid mixed with Natsu's earlier cum, dripped from her opening, running down her legs and sticking to the dragon slayer's thighs when he pounded into her.

He was so close, feeling his gut twist as he tried to hold it off. He leaned over, his hot breath fanning her shoulder. "I'm not gonna last any longer. You ready?"

"Y-yes! Do it!" She cried desperately as her spent body had no time to recover since he never stopped fucking her. She was in so much pleasure she could hardly stand it.

The dragon slayer opened his mouth, his sharp teeth scraping her skin as he pumped into her body two more times. Simultaneously his canines sunk into her shoulder just as his cock released his seed into her heat.

He controlled the urge to bite down with all of his strength, not wanting to harm her. The taste of blood hit his tongue, hoping his saliva would soothe her soon.

Lucy screamed from the agonizing pain for a few seconds before a euphoric sensation washed the sting away. Her eyes closed as she saw a memory flash before her eyes. It wasn't one she was expecting, but she fully understood why she saw it now.

When she opened her eyes again, Natsu was already off her, pulling out of her body and letting their combined fluids pour from her opening. The only thing on her mind right now was the need for a shower.

Lucy collapsed on the bed, her body feeling like jelly and her mind turning into goo. She barely registered when Natsu laid by her side, pulling her into his warm arms to show how much he appreciated his mate.

Her head fell to the crook of his neck, her lips resting over his large vein. She could feel his heart beating frantically through the strong pulse in his neck. She didn't know why, but the feeling was comforting.

Maybe because it let her know Natsu gave it his all, and that meant something to her.

They were on their sides facing each other, panting as their bodies tried to regulate themselves. The languid atmosphere definitely helped, but they both knew it'd be a while before they were up and moving.

"So," he breathed, feeling the strain on his lungs. "Do I even want to know?"

"Know what?" She gave him a coy smile, before cracking, "it's really embarrassing."

"Oh! I _have_ to hear it now!" Natsu cheered, leaning in with suspense.

"Alright," the blonde sighed, knowing he wouldn't stop asking until she just told him. "It was at the grand magic games, when I lost to Flare."

"You mean when Raven Tail cheated and you lost by a technicality?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "it was when everyone was booing me... Despite all that you came out onto the field to get me. You told me to save my tears for when we win. Then you said I was amazing."

She blushed, smiling at the dragon who just conquered her. "I guess I really took it to heart. I just felt so safe with you there, because I knew you'd always be there for me when I needed you."

"Damn," Natsu said, astonished by her vision. "Well yours is a lot better than mine," he confessed.

"So what did you see?" Lucy asked, eager to know when his heart knew he loved her.

"I dunno if I should tell you. It's kinda depressing," the dragon slayer grumbled as he laid on his back.

The celestial wizard joined him, staring at the ceiling above their heads. "More depressing than embarrassing myself in front of thousands of people?" She let out a small giggle, but it ended once Natsu spoke again.

"Yes," he muttered. His tone lacked the enthusiastic beat she was used to. His voice sounded bland and defeated.

"What was it?" Lucy asked, hand grabbing his own to comfort him. Her brown eyes reflected concern for her best friend, wondering what could possibly get him so upset.

"It was your death," the dragon slayer finally said, his hand gripping hers in return. When he had relived the memory, it brought back all the pain and anguish he felt when he wasn't able to save her.

He knew it was her future self, but that didn't matter to him. He watched his friend die, only to find out that was the moment his heart realized he loved her. It was like a cruel twist of fate, and luckily the present Lucy survived. He still had someone to hold on to, to protect, and _love_.

Lucy didn't have to ask him what he meant by her death. She knew he constantly beat himself up over it, even if there was nothing he could have done to prevent it. She just hoped her future self was doing well now that everything went back to normal.

"It doesn't really matter when we fell in love, does it?" Lucy asked, causing Natsu to shift his body to face her.

"What do you mean?"

"All that really matters is that we love each other _now_ ," she placed a kiss on his nose.

"I guess you're right," Natsu said, a smile finally forming on his lips.

The dragon slayer yawned, feeling the drain sex had on his body. "I think I'm gonna take a little nap," he yawned again. "If that's okay with you...?" Despite his question, he already closed his eyes to prepare for rest.

"It's still light outside," Lucy giggled, but she felt sleep pull at her too, her eyelids growing heavy.

"That's okay," he snuggled closer to her, filling his nose with her scent - _as well as all the other smells in the room_. He'd have to clean up later, because there was no way he'd be able to do it now.

"Hey Luce."

"Yeah Natsu."

"Wanna go on a mission later?" He asked, his voice drowsy, "just me, you, and Happy?"

"I'd love to," the blonde replied, her own voice fading into a soft whisper.

"That's good..." Natsu murmured. "G'night Luce."

"Sleep well Natsu," she sighed, seconds away from dozing off. With the last of her strength, she added, "I love you."

Natsu gave the softest kiss to her shoulder before finally letting go of consciousness, "I love you too..."

THE END!

* * *

 **It's finally finished! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was supposed to be a one shot, then a six shot... and then it kept growing until it became eleven chapters long!**

 **Thank you for all the favs/follows! And thank you for those who reviewed: MarSofTheGalaxies, fairyblackheart, Jazmin-Chan Senpai, FlameDragonHime, Gh0st's buddy, AnimeArmorFreak, mikethepokemaster, & Crimsonlink310.**

 **Thank you for sticking around for this story! And thank you to the ones who gave me advice and suggestions!**

 **I am working on a few other ideas for stories (as well as NALU week), so I hope you'll look out for them.**

 **Let me know your final thoughts for this story. (and if there's anything you didn't see that you'd like to see in my future stories)**

 **Thank you again! You're all so awesome!**

 **-** **mushi0131**

 **I already posted the introduction chapter for NALU week if you wanted to check it out. Daily updates will start July 1st until July 7th. It will be ten chapters long.**

 **Here's a sneak peek at Day Five: Struggle, for NALU week:**

"Pardon me Miss, but is this seat taken?"

Lucy blinked past her watery eyes, ripping her gaze away from the grimy window to peer up at a young man. "No, it's free," the maiden's voice was hoarse and dry from crying.

"I'm sorry," the man shook his head, startled by her tears, "I'll find another seat."

Lucy let him walk away, not bothering to tell him it was fine. She really didn't care who sat next to her, as long as they let her cry in peace. That's all she wanted right now, because her heart couldn't stand the pain.

This was the fourth train she'd been on since she left to go back to her church...back to her _home_. She wasn't allowed to return until she killed the demonic dragon known as END.

The blonde stared absentmindedly out the window, waiting for the train to take off. This would be the last one she had to take, before she reached her destination.

She let out a heavy sigh, wondering why life was so cruel...

 _'Why did I have to love a demon?'_


End file.
